"Parren Mitchell" (April 29,1922-May 28,2007)

A democrat,was U.S. Congressman,who represented the 7th congressional district of Maryland from January 3,1971 to January 3,1987.He was the first African-American elected to Congress from Maryland.He was born in Baltimore,Maryland.His father Clarence M. Mitchell Sr.,was a waiter,and his mother,Elsie Davis Mitchell was a homemaker.Parren graduated from Frederick Douglass Senior High School(Baltimore Maryland) in 1940.He served as an officer in the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II,and was wounded in Italy;he received the Purple Heart.He earned his bachelor's degree from Morgan State University,and his master's degree from the University of Maryland,College Park.Parren was the brother of  the late Clarence Mitchell,Jr.,who was head of the NAACP'S Washington office and was one of Lyndon Johnson's chief  advisors in the civil rights movement.In 1950,he was sued the then segregated University of Maryland for admission to graduate school,and won admission.When he graduated he was the first African-American to do so from that school.In 1968,Parren challenged nine-term Democratic incumbent Samuel Friedel  in the Democratic primary and lost.He sought a rematch in 1970,and this time defeated Samuel by only 38 votes.He then breezed to election in November,becoming the first African-American elected to Congress from Maryland.After the 1970 census,the 7th was redawn as a black-majority district --Maryland's first.Parren was reelected severe more times from the district,never dropping below 75 percent of the vote.He even ran unopposed in 1974 and 1984,and only faced minor-party opposition in 1976 and 1978.He was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus.Parren immediately became a vocal member of the Caucus with one of his first actions with the caucus,numbing 12 at the time, was to boycott President Richard M.Nixon's State of the Union address in 1971 after Nixion had refused to meet with the group.(He did meet the caucus a week later.)During his 16,year career he fought for affirmative action legislation.As chairman of the Small Business Committee,Parren attached and amendment to a $4 billion public works bill that compelled state and local governments,seeking federal grants,to set aside 10% of the funds to retain minority firms as contractors and subcontractors.He also mentored several dozen young up and coming leaders,several of whom who still hold public office.Maryland house of Delegates majority whip Talmadge Branch was an early aide,Delegate Nathaniel Oaks volunteered in Parren's  earlycampaigns,as did Sandy Rosenburgh and Curt Anderson.Parren initiated a congressional investigation into wedtech where brides were alleged to have been offered in return for no bid military contracts.His nephews State Senators Clarence Mitchell III and Michael Mitchell ended up serving time in Federal Prison for their parts in the scandal.In 1986 Parren retired from Congress but ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in Maryland as the running mateof Attorney General Stephen H.Sachs.In later years,after a series of strokes,he was placed in a nursing home but still made a periodic apperances at community events.Parren died of Pheumonia at Greater Baltimore Medical in Towson, Maryland,after being hospitalized for a week.On June 5 2007 more 1,000 people paid their last respects to the Congressman at the St.James' Episcopal Church in West Baltimore.Maryland Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski paid tribute to Parren on behalf of the United States Senate;Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid tribute on behalf of the House of Representatives;Judiciary Chairman Representative John Conyers on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus;and Governor Martin O' Malley on behalf of the state of Maryland.Congressman Elijah Cummings delivered the eulogy saying:"He earned the trust of people throughout the country and  the world because he was constantly building bridges for others to cross,while tearing down the walls that had excluded them.