Patricia Roberts Harris

Patricia Roberts Harris
Department of Housing and Urban Development · Public domain · source
Name	Patricia Roberts Harris
Office	13th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
President	Jimmy Carter
Term start	August 3, 1979
Term end	January 20, 1981
Predecessor	Joseph A. Califano Jr.
Successor	Richard Schweiker
Office1	6th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
President1	Jimmy Carter
Term start1	January 23, 1977
Term end1	August 3, 1979
Predecessor1	Carla Anderson Hills
Successor1	Moon Landrieu
Office2	United States Ambassador to Luxembourg
President2	Lyndon B. Johnson
Term start2	1965
Term end2	1967
Predecessor2	William R. Rivkin
Successor2	George J. Feldman
Birth date	31 May 1924
Birth place	Mattoon, Illinois, U.S.
Death date	23 March 1985
Death place	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	William Beasley Harris
Education	Howard University (BA), George Washington University Law School (JD)

Patricia Roberts Harris. Patricia Roberts Harris was a pioneering American attorney, diplomat, and public official who became the first African American woman to serve in a United States Cabinet position and the first to hold two different Cabinet posts. Her career, spanning from the Civil rights movement to the highest levels of the Federal government of the United States, exemplified a commitment to public service and the expansion of opportunity within the framework of American institutions.

Early life and education

Patricia Roberts was born on May 31, 1924, in Mattoon, Illinois, to a Pullman porter father and a schoolteacher mother. The family later moved to Chicago, where she was raised. Demonstrating academic promise early, she earned a scholarship to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C.. At Howard, a historically black university central to the development of civil rights leadership, she graduated summa cum laude in 1945 with a degree in Political Science. She was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Her involvement with the university chapter of the NAACP provided an early foundation in activism. She later pursued her legal education at the George Washington University Law School, earning her Juris Doctor in 1960.

Civil rights activism and legal career

Following her undergraduate studies, Harris worked for the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and served as assistant director of the American Council on Human Rights. Her commitment to the Civil rights movement was practical and legalistic. She co-chaired the National Women's Committee for Civil Rights, advocating for the inclusion of women's issues within the broader movement. After graduating from law school, she built a successful legal career, becoming a partner at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson. She also served as a professor at the Howard University School of Law, where she was appointed Dean in 1969, becoming the first African American woman to lead a U.S. law school. Her legal work and academic leadership focused on empowering individuals through education and the rule of law.

Political appointments and government service

Harris's entry into high-level government service came through appointment. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed her as the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg, making her the first African American woman to represent the United States as an ambassador. This appointment during the Johnson administration reflected a commitment to integrating the nation's diplomatic corps. She later served on several presidential commissions, including the Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico. Her government experience established her as a capable administrator loyal to the institutions she served, paving the way for her later Cabinet roles.

Tenure as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter nominated Harris to be United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. After contentious confirmation hearings where she famously defended her commitment to representing the poor and marginalized, she was confirmed, becoming the first African American woman to serve in the United States Cabinet. At HUD, she managed a large bureaucracy and a complex portfolio. Her tenure was marked by efforts to streamline federal housing programs and improve the management of public housing. She emphasized the importance of urban revitalization and public-private partnerships, seeking to use federal resources to foster stable, self-sufficient communities rather than perpetuate dependency.

Tenure as Secretary of Health and Human Services

In 1979, President Carter appointed Harris as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, which was renamed the United States Department of Health and Human Services during her tenure. In this role, she oversaw the nation's largest domestic agency, responsible for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. She managed significant budgetary pressures and worked to maintain the integrity of these essential social safety net programs. Her leadership focused on administrative efficiency and ensuring these established programs served their intended beneficiaries effectively, consistent with a philosophy of prudent governance.

Later life and legacy

After leaving government service following the end of the Carter administration, Harris returned to academia as a professor at the George Washington University Law School. She remained active in corporate governance, serving on the boards of major corporations like IBM and Chase Manhattan Bank and served as a The United States Senate|U.She died of the United States Senate. She died of cancer on March 23, 23, 23, 1985, She died of the. Harris, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, United States. Harris, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 23, 1985, 23, United States, United States. Harris, 23, 23, 23, and, United States, United States, 23, United States, 23, United States. Harris 23, 23, United, United States. Harris 23, United States|United States, United States. United States. Harris, United States. Harris, United States. Harris, United States, United States. United States. United States. United States|United States. United States. United States|United States. United. United States. United States. She was the. United States. United States. United States. United States. United States. United States. United States Department of. United States. United States Department of America United States. United States. United States. United States. United States Department of. United States Department of. United States Department of. United States. United States. United States. She was. United States Department of the United States. United States. She was. She was. United States. She was. United States. United States. United States. United.