Biography

04/14/1931 - 01/07/2010

Hardy Williams (D8) Philadelphia County 1982-1998

Early Life:

Hardy Williams (D8) born April 14, 1931, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County Pennsylvania; son of James and Frances Connix Williams; graduated, West Philadelphia High School; attended, Cheyney Training School for Teachers (now, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania); A.B., The Pennsylvania State University; LL.B., University of Pennsylvania; lieutenant, United States Army, Korean War, 1952-1954; lawyer; four children, Lisa Dawn, Anthony Hardy, Clifford Kelley and Lanna Amia; died, January 7, 2010, Kearsley Home, Wynnefield section of Philadelphia; Interment, Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, Burlington County, New Jersey.

Early Career:

Assistant City Solicitor, 1962-1968

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

Member, African American Delaware Valley Port Corporation, Airport Advisory Board, Barristers’ Club, Black Family Services, Incorporated, Blacks Networking for Progress, Incorporated, Children’s Health Advisory Council, 8th District AIDS Task Force; founder Crisis Intervention Network, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, Lincoln University Board of Trustees, Omega Psi Phi, Pennsylvania Housing Advisory Committee, Pennsylvania Task Force on Job Creation, Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, Philadelphia Bar Association, Primary Health Care Practitioners’ Program Advisory Committee, State Planning Board, Urban Economics Strategies Task Force.

Awards:

Recipient Distinguished Son of West Philadelphia High School; Distinguished Citizen Award, Man of the Decade, and Club VIP; Distinguished Service Award, University of Pennsylvania Black Law School Association, Hardy Williams Award for Excellence; Buffalo Soldiers Award; Chiro. Fellowship of Pennsylvania, Senator of the Year Award.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 1971 term and reelected to the 1973, 1977, 1979 and 1981 terms; unsuccessful campaign, United States Congress, 1980.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 8th district, Philadelphia County, 1982-1998; Minority chair, Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee; member, Appropriations, Judiciary, Local Government, Urban Affairs and Housing Committees; appointed, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, 1983-1986; appointed, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1983-1988, Senate Impeachment Committee, 1994.

https://web.archive.org/web/19971009144559/http://www.pasen.gov/members/sd08.html

Pa. House of Representatives Biography:

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=338&body=H

Cited:

Pennsylvania Manual, Biographies of Members of the Senate, pg. 89; Volume 108, December 1987.

Legacy:

A scholar-athlete, he was also president of the Pre-Legal Society and secretary-treasurer of the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Association. In addition, the first African-American basketball player in the University’s 61-year history, Williams later became team captain and led Penn State to its first tournament championship in 32 years.

https://www.blackhistory.psu.edu/timeline/hardy_williams_is_appointed_to_penn_state_board_of_trustees

On February 26, 2009, the Renaissance Advantage Charter School (RACS) in Philadelphia was renamed the Hardy Williams Academy Charter School. The RACS leadership chose to rename the school after Williams to recognize the local leader and help inspire students about their own potential to succeed.