Richmond’s History Makers
January 13, 1990, Lawrence Douglas Wilder, was sworn in as the governor of Virginia. Not only was this a meaningful occasion because the state was the former capital of the Confederacy, it was also a milestone because he was the first elected African-American governor in the United States.
January 13, 1990, Lawrence Douglas Wilder, was sworn in as the governor of Virginia. Not only was this a meaningful occasion because the state was the former capital of the Confederacy, it was also a milestone because he was the first elected African-American governor in the United States.
Born in 1931, Wilder grew up in Richmond’s Church Hill area with six brothers and sisters. He attended George Mason Elementary School and Armstrong High School. In 1951, he graduated from Virginia Union University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. During his youth he waited tables at some of Richmond’s segregated country clubs, worked as a shoeshine boy and operated elevators. Wilder served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and received the Bronze Star for heroism in ground combat. Wilder wanted to attend law school in Virginia but after complications, he attended Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. He graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1959 and established the law firm, Wilder, Gregory and Associates.
His political career began in 1969, when he was elected as a state senator in Virginia. He served five terms. Wilder also served as lieutenant governor in Virginia for one term.
During Wilder’s four years as governor, he instituted anti-crime initiatives, which included the one-gun-per-month handgun purchase limit laws. During his term, Virginia was ranked as the nation’s best-managed state by Financial World magazine two years in a row. In 1998 Wilder was chosen to head Virginia Union University.
