Patricia Roberts Harris

Patricia Roberts Harris
Patricia Roberts Harris
Born	Patricia Roberts; Template:Birth date; Mattoon, Illinois, U.S.
Died	March 23, 1985 (aged 60); Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation(s)	Political figure, diplomat, legal expert, educator
Years active	1940s–1985
Known for	First African American woman in a presidential cabinet; U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; first Black female U.S. ambassador; first Black woman dean of a U.S. law school; first Black female board member of a Fortune 500 company

Patricia Roberts Harris (May 31, 1924 – March 23, 1985) was a distinguished American political figure, diplomat, and legal expert. She held the office of the 6th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1977 until 1979, followed by serving as the 13th Secretary of Health and Human Services between 1979 and 1981 during President Jimmy Carter's tenure.

Originally from Illinois, Harris was appointed as the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg from 1965 to 1967 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. She achieved numerous historic firsts, becoming the inaugural African American woman to be part of a presidential cabinet and the first woman of color to be appointed to two separate cabinet roles. Harris was also the first African American to lead the HHS, the second Black individual to head HUD, and among the pioneering women to direct these federal departments. Furthermore, she was the first Black female U.S. ambassador, the first Black woman to serve as dean of a U.S. law school, and a trailblazer as a board member of a Fortune 500 corporation. A member of the Democratic Party, she sought election as mayor of the District of Columbia in the 1982 mayoral race, where she placed second in the primary behind incumbent Marion Barry.

Early life

Patricia Roberts entered the world on May 31, 1924, in Mattoon, Illinois, born to Bert Fitzgerald Roberts, a railroad dining car waiter, and Hildren Brodie (née Johnson). She had one younger sibling named Malcolm. Following her parents' separation when she was six years old, her upbringing was primarily overseen by her mother and grandmother while she attended public schools in Chicago.

Education

Roberts secured scholarships from five different institutions and ultimately selected Howard University, graduating with summa cum laude honors in 1945. During her time at Howard, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and held the position of Vice Chairman for the university's NAACP chapter. She also belonged to Delta Sigma Theta, a historically Black sorority established at Howard. Notably, in 1943 she took part in one of the earliest lunch counter sit-ins in the nation.

She engaged in graduate studies focused on industrial relations at the University of Chicago from 1946 through 1949 before transferring to American University to deepen her involvement in civil rights activism, where she completed her Master's degree.

After marrying in 1955 and encountering limited career prospects in education due to segregationist barriers, Harris redirected her ambitions toward law. Motivated by her husband’s encouragement, she earned her J.D. at the George Washington University National Law Center in 1960, graduating top of a class comprising ninety-four students and successfully passing the bar exam that same year.

In recognition of her accomplishments, Harris was honored with the Alumni Achievement Award by George Washington University Law School in 1965.

Career

While pursuing studies in Chicago, Roberts held a position as program director for the Young Women's Christian Association. At American University, from 1949 to 1953 she served as Assistant Director for the American Council on Human Rights. Her initial role within the U.S. government began in 1960 when she worked as an attorney in the appeals and research division of the criminal section at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she encountered Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

In 1961, Harris accepted a lecturing role coupled with duties as Associate Dean of Students at Howard University before concentrating solely on teaching responsibilities. From 1962 until 1965, she contributed to the National Capital Area Civil Liberties Union while deepening her engagement with the Democratic Party. Elevated to full professorship at Howard in 1963, she was simultaneously appointed co-chairperson of President John F. Kennedy’s National Women's Committee for Civil Rights alongside co-chair Mildred McAfee Horton, managing an alliance of roughly one hundred women's organizations.

In 1964, Harris was chosen as a delegate representing the District of Columbia at the Democratic National Convention, endorsing Lyndon Johnson’s presidential bid and delivering his nomination seconding speech. In October 1965, President Johnson named her Ambassador to Luxembourg—the first African American woman to hold such a diplomatic post—and she served as an alternate delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1966 through 1968.

Upon returning to Howard University’s School of Law in 1967, Harris became its Dean two years later—the first Black woman ever appointed—but stepped down shortly after due to insufficient backing from university leadership amid student unrest. Subsequently, she joined Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, a prominent law firm based in Washington D.C.

In 1971, Harris broke new ground by joining IBM’s board of directors as its first Black American female board member within a Fortune 500 company. Her corporate governance experience extended with board memberships at Scott Paper Company, National Bank of Washington, and Chase Manhattan Bank. Upon her appointment at Chase Manhattan’s board, she underscored corporations’ responsibility to widen professional opportunities for Black individuals beyond historically narrow pipelines.

Maintaining significant influence within Democratic circles, Harris chaired the credentials committee in 1972 and became a member-at-large on the Democratic National Committee in 1973. Later during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, she was appointed to two cabinet-level offices.

Cabinet Secretary

In 1977, Harris was named to President Jimmy Carter's cabinet as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During her confirmation hearings, Senator William Proxmire questioned whether her privileged upbringing made her suitable for the position. Harris responded by emphasizing her roots: "I am a Black woman, the daughter of a Pullman car waiter... I needed a scholarship to go to school." Her confirmation was ultimately approved without difficulty. By that time, she had established herself as a leading civil rights advocate, a distinguished corporate attorney, and an influential business leader. She also made history as the first African American woman included in the Presidential line of succession.

Serving as HUD Secretary from 1977 to 1979, Harris transformed the department’s priorities by moving away from slum demolition toward revitalizing neighborhoods. She spearheaded programs such as the Neighborhood Strategy Program and Urban Development Action Grants aimed at encouraging businesses to return to urban areas, alongside expanding the Urban Homesteading Plan. According to The Washington Post, under her guidance, HUD shifted from functioning as an industry extension to becoming a staunch advocate for preserving inner-city communities.

After her achievements at HUD, President Carter appointed Harris in 1979 as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, overseeing the largest agency within the Cabinet. Following the enactment of the Department of Education Organization Act in 1980—which created the new Department of Education by transferring education responsibilities—she continued serving as Secretary of the renamed Department of Health and Human Services until 1981 without requiring reconfirmation. During this period, she managed significant budgetary challenges and implemented leadership changes.

Reflecting on her time at HHS, Harris openly acknowledged shortcomings such as insufficient enforcement of civil rights policies, sluggish legislative progress on health care cost reforms, and limited influence over Washington, D.C. Nonetheless, Dennis Green, Associate Director at the Office of Management and Budget, commended her as "tough-minded, intelligent," and decisive in advancing agency objectives.

Post-government

In 1981, Harris transitioned to academia as a full-time faculty member at the George Washington University Law School, a position she held until her passing in 1985. She sought election as Mayor of Washington, D.C. in 1982 but was defeated in the primary by incumbent Marion Barry. Contributing factors to her loss included her forthright communication style and the absence at that time of any female mayor in the city’s history. Notably, Washington’s first female mayor, Sharon Pratt (1991–95), had previously served as Harris’ campaign manager.

Personal life and death

Harris met William Beasley Harris while involved with the American Council on Human Rights; he was then part of Howard University’s law faculty and later became a judge on the Federal Power Commission. They married on September 1, 1955. Harris was an active member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and held the role of its first national executive director for six years.

In 1967, Lord Snowdon captured portraits of Harris at the United Nations for Vogue. Among her personal interests were cooking and baking. Her husband passed away in November 1984. Harris succumbed to breast cancer at age 60 on March 23, 1985. She was laid to rest at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Legacy

Following her passing, Harris established the Patricia Roberts Harris Public Affairs Fellowship at Howard University to assist students engaged in both domestic and international public affairs internships. Founded in 1987, this fellowship provides financial support, guidance, and educational opportunities, having benefited more than 200 recipients.

On January 27, 2000, the United States Postal Service released a commemorative stamp celebrating Harris as part of its Black Heritage Series; 150 million copies were printed to mark Black History Month. In 2003, she earned induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

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