Biography

09/05/1917 - 11/09/1989

Herbert Arlene, Sr., (D3) Philadelphia County 1967-1980

Early Life: 

Herbert Arlene, Sr., born, September 5, 1914, Harrison, Washington County, Georgia; son of Elbert and Mattie King Arlene; educated, Harrison public schools; Philadelphia Business School; Miller College, honorary L.L.D; owner, Arlene’s Tailor Shop; chairman and county committeeman, 47th Ward Democratic Committee; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1959-1966; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate 1967-1980; appointed, Special Committee to Study the Public Employee Relations Act of 1970, 1973; married, Emma Davis, 1934, (d. 1975) one son Herbert Jr., one daughter Clara Banks; died, November 9, 1989, city of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; interred, Rolling Green Cemetery, West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

Philadelphia Naval Ship Yards; owner, Wigfall and Arlene’s Tailor Shop, then Arlene’s Tailor Shop, corner of Jefferson and Opal Streets Philadelphia.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church; Philadelphia Chapter, Urban League; Peoples Neighborhood Medical Center; board of trustees, Lincoln University; board of directors, Greater Philadelphia Development Corporation; board member, Wharton Neighborhood Community Center; member, Model Cities Neighborhood Council 15; Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.), North Central Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; North Central Community Organization; Temple Mental Health Retardation Center; Berean Institute; Philadelphia Athletic League; Hospital Authority of Philadelphia. (i)

Member, Odd Fellows; Elks; Prince Hall Masonic Order; 33^rd degree Mason; Pyramid Temple Number 1; Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine (AEAONMS). (i)

Pennsylvania Politics:

Chairman and county committeeman, 47th Ward Democratic Committee, Philadelphia.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1959-1966.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 3rd district, Philadelphia County, 1967-1980; appointed, Special Committee to Study the Public Employee Relations Act of 1970, 1973; Chair Labor and Industry Committee; vice chair, Urban Affairs and Housing; member, Appropriations, Insurance, Public Health and Welfare and Rules and Executive Nominations.  

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=1244&body=H

Legacy:

First African American elected, Pennsylvania State Senate (ii)

Herbert Arlene, Sr. Housing Project 16^th and Jefferson Street, Philadelphia.

Cited: 

Ackley, G. (Ed.). Arcuri, P. (Ed.). (1979-1980). The Pennsylvania manual, Volume 104. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Members of the Senate of Pennsylvania, pages 63 and 87.

1. Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Thursday February 25, 1993, Page 35
2. The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Saturday, November 11, 1989, Page 57