George Carroll (judge)

George Carroll
Judge George D. Carroll
Judge of the Bay Municipal Court
In office
1965–1985
Appointed byPat Brown
Mayor of Richmond, California
In office
1964–1965
Preceded byGay Vargas
Succeeded byDavid Pierce
Personal details
Born(1922-01-06)January 6, 1922
Brooklyn, New York
DiedJanuary 14, 2016(2016-01-14) (aged 94)
Richmond, California

George Carroll (January 6, 1922 – January 14, 2016) was an American lawyer and civic figure, based in Contra Costa County, California.[1] He served as the first black lawyer as well as the first African American to be elected to city council in Richmond.[2] He later became the first black mayor of any large American city.[1][2]

Early life & education

Carroll was born on January 6, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York.[3][1] Later he served in the United States Military during World War II and subsequently attended college and law school by use of the G.I. Bill. He relocated to Contra Costa County, California, in 1954.[1]

Career

Carroll Richmond opened his own private practice after relocating to Richmond in 1954, and he became the city's first black attorney.[4][1]

In 1961, Carroll became the first African American elected to the city council, where he served until 1964.[2]

In 1964, Carroll became the first black mayor of Richmond;[2] by doing so, he also was the first African American mayor of any large American city.[1][5] Afterwards, George Carroll became the first black judge in Contra Costa when he was appointed to the Bay Municipal Court by Governor Pat Brown in 1965.[1][2]

Personal life

Carroll died in his sleep on January 14, 2016, in Richmond, California, at the age of 94.[6]

The Richmond Courthouse and a park in the Pt. Richmond District are named in his honor.[1][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Richmond courthouse named for retired judge George Carroll, contracostatimes.com, February 24, 2009; accessed January 17, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Richmond's Black History Corner, city of Richmond, California website; accessdate January 17, 2016.
  3. ^ "Richmond Courthouse renamed for Judge Carroll". George Miller Website. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  4. ^ Katrina Cameron (January 14, 2016). "George Carroll, first black Richmond mayor and Contra Costa County judge, dies at 94". Contra Costa Times. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "Richmond courthouse named for retired judge George Carroll". East Bay Times. August 15, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Richmond's first black mayor George Carroll dies at 94 Archived 2016-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, richmondstandard.com; accessed January 17, 2016.
  7. ^ Parks and park facilities, city of Richmond website, accessdate January 17, 2016.


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