Augustus F. Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Augustus Freeman "Gus" Hawkins (August 31, 1907 – November 10, 2007) was a prominent African American
Democratic Party
politician and a figure in the history of Civil Rights
and organized labor. He served as the first African American from California
in the United States Congress
, where he sponsored the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act
. Hawkins was very fair-skinned and was often taken to be a person of solely white ancestry.
. He later moved to California, where he was a Democratic member of the State Assembly
from 1935 until 1963. He was also a delegate to the National Conventions of 1940
, 1944
and 1960
as well as an electoral college
presidential elector from California in 1944
. Hawkins attended high school in Los Angeles
, and received his undergraduate degree from UCLA
in 1931.
that established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
. He later authored landmark legislation such as the Job Training Partnership Act
and the School Improvement Act. He was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus
. In 1977 he sponsored the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act
, alongside Senator Hubert Humphrey
of Minnesota
. The Bill gave the U.S. government the goal to provide full employment; it also ordered that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board must provide Congress with testimony on the state of the economy.
Over his career, Hawkins authored more than 300 state and federal laws. He also succeeded in restoring honorable discharges to the 170 black soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment who had been falsely accused of a public disturbance in Brownsville, Texas
in 1906, and removed from the Army. He became chair of the House Education and Labor Committee in 1984.
for the remainder of his life. Until his death at the age of 100
, he was the oldest living person to have served in Congress. He was the eighth person to have served in Congress that reached the age of 100. Hawkins' death left the former Alabama
Republican
Representative Arthur Glenn Andrews (1909–2008) as the oldest living former House member.
The ZIP codes associated with that area are listed in United States Postal Service
databases with the placename (city name) August F. Haw
[sic].
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician and a figure in the history of Civil Rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and organized labor. He served as the first African American from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, where he sponsored the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act
Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act
The Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act , is an act of legislation by the United States government.-Impetus and strategy:...
. Hawkins was very fair-skinned and was often taken to be a person of solely white ancestry.
Early life and career
Hawkins was born in Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. He later moved to California, where he was a Democratic member of the State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
from 1935 until 1963. He was also a delegate to the National Conventions of 1940
1940 Democratic National Convention
The 1940 Democratic National Convention was held at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois from July 15–18, 1940. The convention resulted in the re-nomination of President Franklin Roosevelt as the Democratic Party candidate for an unprecedented third term. Secretary of Agriculture Henry A...
, 1944
1944 Democratic National Convention
The 1944 Democratic National Convention was held at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois from July 19 - July 21, 1944. The convention resulted in the re-nomination of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt for an unprecedented fourth term. Senator Harry S. Truman of Missouri was nominated for...
and 1960
1960 Democratic National Convention
The 1960 Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles. In the end, the Kennedy-Johnson ticket was assembled and went on to secure an electoral college victory and a narrow popular vote plurality in the fall over the Republican candidates Richard M...
as well as an electoral college
United States Electoral College
The Electoral College consists of the electors appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...
presidential elector from California in 1944
United States presidential election, 1944
The United States presidential election of 1944 took place while the United States was preoccupied with fighting World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had been in office longer than any other president, but remained popular. Unlike 1940, there was little doubt that Roosevelt would run for...
. Hawkins attended high school in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, and received his undergraduate degree from UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in 1931.
Congressional career
From 1963 until 1991, Hawkins represented California's 21st District (1963–1975), and the 29th District (1975–1991), covering southern Los Angeles County, in Congress. Early in his congressional career, he authored legislation including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
that established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
. He later authored landmark legislation such as the Job Training Partnership Act
Job Training Partnership Act of 1982
The Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 was a United States federal law passed October 13, 1982, by the United States Department of Labor during the Reagan administration. The law was the successor to the previous federal job training legisltion, the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act...
and the School Improvement Act. He was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
. In 1977 he sponsored the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act
Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act
The Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act , is an act of legislation by the United States government.-Impetus and strategy:...
, alongside Senator Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The Bill gave the U.S. government the goal to provide full employment; it also ordered that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board must provide Congress with testimony on the state of the economy.
Over his career, Hawkins authored more than 300 state and federal laws. He also succeeded in restoring honorable discharges to the 170 black soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment who had been falsely accused of a public disturbance in Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
in 1906, and removed from the Army. He became chair of the House Education and Labor Committee in 1984.
Later life and death
Hawkins retired in 1991 to his Los Angeles home, and lived in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for the remainder of his life. Until his death at the age of 100
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
, he was the oldest living person to have served in Congress. He was the eighth person to have served in Congress that reached the age of 100. Hawkins' death left the former Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Representative Arthur Glenn Andrews (1909–2008) as the oldest living former House member.
Augustus F. Hawkins Natural Park
The Augustus F. Hawkins Natural Park was built in 2000 in a highly urbanized area of south LA. The cost was $4.5 million and was financed largely by city, county, and state bond measures.The ZIP codes associated with that area are listed in United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
databases with the placename (city name) August F. Haw
August F. Haw, California
August F. Haw [sic] is the shortened placename designated by the United States Postal Service for a South Los Angeles area associated with ZIP codes 90002, 90044, 90051, 90059, and 90061....
[sic].
External links
- Obituary from the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
- Obituary from the Baltimore Sun