"Eunice Roberta Hunton Carter" {July 16 1899-January 25 1970}

Was born in Atlanta Georgia, to social activists,and public servants were William A Hunton, and Addie Waites.Both of her parents were well known around the world for their work on behalf of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA).Eunice attended Smith College in Northhampton, Massachusetts,and graduated cum laude in 1921.After college, she moved to New York City,where she fostered her commitment to community service by pursuing a job in social work.Eunice also developed her creative talents by writing short stories and book reviews.Four of her short stories were published in the African American journal Opportunity:Journal of a Negro Life.In 1932 Eunice married Lise C. Carter and the two soon had a son, Lisle Carter Jr.In addition to being a wife, mother, social, worker,volunteer, and writer,Eunice took classes at Columbia University.She later committed herself to night classes at Fordham University to receive an LLB degree there in 1932. She became a leader in the struggle of African Americans and women for equality.Her first pursuit after law school and admission to the New York State bar was in politics.In 1934 she made an unsuccessful bid for the New York State Assembly.In the public eye she became a respected social and political figure.In 1935 Mayor Fiorello H.La Guardia (who also appointed Jane Bolin,the first black woman judge in America)appointed Eunice to serve as the secretary of a biracial committee formed to study racial tensions in Harlem. After her time with the Committee,the district attorney of New York State hired her.She was hired to handle primarily low-level criminal prosecutions.After handling several prostitutions cases,and organized crime. She noted that defeendants told nearly identical stories,that all of the women were represented by the same law firm,and that if they were fined the same bondsmen would pay those fines.Eventually ,Eunice work on theories about organized crime activities triggered the biggest organized-crime prosecution in the nation's history in New York City in the late 1930s.Based largely on Eunice investigations, the special Thomas Dewey ordered a major raid of more than eighty houses of prostitution.Information from the raid provided her with extensive details on the prostitution racket and ultimately led to the conviction of Charles "Lucky" Luciano, the top Mafia leader in New York. Eunice was the only African American and the only woman on Thomas team.When he became the states's district attorney he chose Eunice to lead the Special Sessions Bureau, where she supervised more than fourteen thousand criminal cases each year.In time, she also became one of the hightest paid African American attorney's  in the country.She remained with the district attorney's office until 1945 and then returned to private practice. During her tenure at the district attorney's office, Lisle Carter Jr.lived with realtives in Barbados,perhaps reflecting Eunice dilemma of how best to balance career and family. She became a significant leader in the organization founded by Mary Mcleod Bethune,the National Council of Negro Women. She also became an accredited observer at the United Nations. Eunice received an honorary doctor of law degree from her alma mater, Smith College. She served as consultant to the United Nations and International Council of Women;vice president of the National Council of Women of the United States YWCA:member of the U.S. National Committee of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;trustee and chairman of the National Council of Negro Women;and member of the American Association of University Women. She died of cancer.