Russell Sugarmon
| Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 10th district | |
|
In office 1967–1969 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Russell Bertram Sugarmon, Jr. May 11, 1929 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) |
Mariam DeCosta (divorced) Regina Spence |
| Children |
Tarik Sugarmon Elena Sugarmon Erika Sugarmon Monique Sugarmon Tina Sugarmon Carol Sugarmon |
| Alma mater |
Morehouse College Rutgers University Harvard Law School Boston University |
| Occupation |
Attorney Judge |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | U.S. Army |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Adjutant General Corps |
Russell Bertram Sugarmon, Jr.[1] (born May 11, 1929), is an American politician and judge in the state of Tennessee.
Early life
Sugarmon was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Russell and Lessye Hank Sugarmon.[1] He grew up in South Memphis and attended Co-Operative Gammar School.[1]
In 1946, Sugarmon graduated from Booker T. Washington High School when he was 15 years old.[1]
Sugarman attended Morehouse College for one year. He received an A.B. in Political Science from Rutgers University in 1950. In 1953 he received a law degree Harvard Law School and attended Boston University's Graduate School of Finance.[1]
Career
He practiced as an attorney in Memphis, Tennessee in the firm Ratner, Sugarmon, Lucas, Willis and Caldwell.[2][3][4][5]
In 1959, Sugarmon ran for Public Works Commissioner, the first African-American in Memphis to run for a major city office.[6] The outgoing commissioner, Henry Loeb, forced most of the other candidates to withdraw from the election, so as not to split the white vote among several candidates. Bill Ferris, the only white man remaining on the ballot, won the post.[7]
Sugarmon served in the Tennessee House of Representatives as a Democrat from the 11th District from 1967 to 1969.[8]
Personal life
Sugarmon's son, Tarik B. Sugarmon, is a Memphis City Court judge who in 2014 ran for Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court.[9]
See also
Works and publications
- Sugarmon, Russell B, and Hans-Thomas Ryan. Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr., Papers, 1959-1976: guide to the Papers. Memphis: Memphis State University, 1977. See also: Mississippi Valley Collection, Memphis State University.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 DeCosta-Willis, Miriam (2008). Notable Black Memphians: Sugarmon, Russell Bertram, Jr. Amherst, N.Y.: Cambria Press. pp. 295–297. ISBN 9781624990939. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Hon. Russell B. Sugarmon". The History of LawMakers: The Nation's Largest African American Video Oral History Collection. HistoryMakers. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Public Collections: Russell B. Sugarmon Collection". Crossroads to Freedom. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr.". The History of LawMakers: The Nation's Largest African American Video Oral History Collection. HistoryMakers. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr." (Finding Aid). The History of LawMakers: The Nation's Largest African American Video Oral History Collection. HistoryMakers. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ Cohen, Hon. Steve (16 January 2014). "Congratulating Judge Russell B. Sugarmon, Jr. on Receiving the 2014 Be the Dream MLK Legacy Award -- Hon. Steve Cohen (Extensions of Remarks - January 16, 2014)". Congressional Record 113th Congress (2013-2014). Library of Congress. p. E84. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ Honey, Michael K. (2007). Going Down Jericho Road : the Memphis strike, Martin Luther King's last campaign (1. ed.). New York [u.a.]: Norton. pp. 30–32. ISBN 9780393043396. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ "Tennessee House Representative 85th General Assembly: R.B. Sugarmon, Jr.". House Archives 1870 to Present. Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ↑ Dries, Bill (24 March 2014). "Sugarmon Opens Campaign for Juvenile Court Judge". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved 6 May 2014.