Marion Barry
Marion Barry (March 6, 1936 - November 23, 2014) was a Democratic member of the Washington, D.C. City Council, representing Ward 8. He served three different tenures on the city council. The first was from 1974 to 1978, the second was from 1992 to 1994 and the third was from 2005 to 2014.[1]
Barry also served four terms as the Mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. He served one term on the D.C. Board of Education from 1971 to 1974.[1]
Barry titled his 2014 autobiography Mayor for Life, an epithet that some—including Barry himself—used to characterize his political career.
Barry died on November 23, 2014. He was 78 years old.[2]
Biography
Barry was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi. He earned a B.S. from LeMoyne College and an M.S. in Chemistry from Fisk University. In 1960, he became the National Chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.[3]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Barry's political career.
- 2005-2014: Washington, D.C. Council
- 1995-1999: Mayor of Washington, D.C.
- 1992-1994: Washington, D.C. Council
- 1979-1991: Mayor of Washington, D.C.
- 1974-1978: Washington, D.C. Council
- 1971-1974: Washington D.C. Board of Education
Noteworthy events
Drug arrests
In 1990, while serving his third term as Mayor of D.C., Barry was arrested for cocaine possession. A jury convicted him of a single count of illegal drug possession and he was sentenced to six months in a federal prison. He was arrested for a second time in 2002 for possession of marijuana.[2][3]
Corruption
In 2010, the Washington, D.C. Council censured Barry for awarding a city contract to a former girlfriend and for funneling municipal funds to nonprofit organizations that he founded and operated. The city council censured him again in 2013 for accepting cash gifts from city contracts.[2][3][4]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "Marion + Barry + Washington + D.C."
- All stories may not be relevant due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
External links
- Profile from the City of Washington, D.C.
- Politico, "Ex-D.C. Mayor Marion Barry dies at 78," November 23, 2014
- Profile from the City of Washington, D.C.
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 D.C. Council, "Marion Barry," accessed November 24, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Vox, "Former Washington, DC, Mayor Marion Barry dies at 78," November 23, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Politico, "Ex-D.C. Mayor Marion Barry dies at 78," November 23, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, "D.C. Council censures Marion Barry for taking cash payments from city contractors," September 17, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Washington, D.C. Council, Ward 8 2005-November 23, 2014 |
Succeeded by LaRuby May (D) |