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Major Owens

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Major Owens
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
fromNew York
In office
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byShirley Chisholm
Succeeded byYvette Clarke
Constituency12th district(1983–93)
11th district(1993–2007)
Member of theNew York State Senate
from the17thdistrict
In office
January 1, 1975 – December 31, 1982
Preceded byChester J. Straub
Succeeded byHoward E. Babbush
Personal details
Born
Major Robert Odell Owens

(1936-06-28)June 28, 1936
Collierville, Tennessee,U.S.
DiedOctober 21, 2013(2013-10-21)(aged 77)
New York City,New York,U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Socialists of America
Spouse(s)Ethel Werfel
Maria Cuprill
Children5, includingGeoffrey
Alma materMorehouse College(BA)
Clark Atlanta University(MS)
OccupationLibrarian
Major Owens's voice
Major Owens speaks in support of H.R.3375, the Embassy Employee Compensation Act
Recorded May 21, 2002

Major Robert Odell Owens(June 28, 1936 – October 21, 2013) was an American politician andlibrarianwho served in theUnited States House of Representativesfrom 1983 to 2007, representing theNew York's 11th and then 12th congressional district. He was first elected to replace retiring RepresentativeShirley Chisholm.Owens shepherded theAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990through the House. He retired at the end of his term in January 2007 and was succeeded byYvette Clarke.

Early life and education

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Owens was born on June 28, 1936, inCollierville, Tennessee,to Ezekiel and Edna Owens.[1]He was raised inMemphis, Tennessee,and his father worked in a furniture factory as a laborer. He received abachelor's degreein 1956 fromMorehouse College,and a master's degree in library science in 1957 fromAtlanta University,now known as Clark Atlanta.[2]

Career

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Librarian

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Owens began his career inlibrarianship.[3]After obtaining his master's degree, Owens settled inBrooklyn,New York and began his career as alibrarianat theBrooklyn Public Libraryfrom 1958 through the late 1960s. At the same time, Owens became active in theCongress of Racial Equalityand other community groups. Owens, a community information librarian, became known for "placing Brooklyn Public Library collections in public places such as laundromats, stores, bars, and anywhere people gathered." In 1969, Owens worked with a group of other New York librarians, includingMiriam Braverman,Anne Littlejohn, Betty-Carol Sellen, Joan Marshall,Hardy R. Franklin,Pat Schuman,Andrew Armitage, andMitch Freedman,to establish the New York Social Responsibilities Round Table. This organization became part of theNew York Library Associationand its mission was "to create a central position for libraries and librarians in the battles for civil rights, social justice, peace, and ever-improved public access to education and information."

Although having moved from his career in librarianship into his political career, in 1979 and 1991, Owens was a featured speaker at the White House Conference on Libraries sponsored by theNational Commission on Libraries and Information Science.In 1987, Owens was awarded theAmerican Library Association Honorary Membership,its highest honor.[4]

Politics

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In 1968, New York City MayorJohn Lindsaymade Owens the commissioner ofNew York City's Community Development Agency.[5]After serving in this position for approximately five years, he successfully ran for and was elected to the New York Senate. He was a member of theNew York State Senatefrom 1975 to 1982, sitting in the181st,182nd,183rdand184th New York State Legislatures.[6]

In 1982, he was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives,replacing the retiringShirley Chisholm,where he remained until his retirement in 2006. Owens became known as "The Librarian In Congress." Owens's career in Congress is marked by his advocacy for and support of library funding and education issues; in particular public libraries, school libraries, and librarianship. In Congress, he worked closely with American Disability activistJustin Whitlock Dartwho often was visiting his office inCapitol Hilland provided testimony before Owen's Subcommittee on Select Education in the House, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, prior to the passage of the ADA when it was being heatedly debated.[7]Owens served as floor manager of theAmericans with Disabilities Act(ADA) and aided in its enactment.[4]

Owens represented a diverse district located withinBrooklyn, New York,which included many African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Jewish Americans, including a largeHasidicJewish community. His district included low income areas ofBrownsville,a largeHasidicarea ofCrown Heights,the heavilyCaribbeanareas ofFlatbushandEast Flatbush,and the now upscale neighborhood ofPark Slope.Although Owens won the 2004 Democraticprimarywith just 45.44% of the vote,[8]he was re-elected in the 2004 general election with 94% of the vote. In 2006, Owens decided to retire at the end of his term (January 2007). In the2006 election,Yvette Clarke,who had run against Owens in the 2004 primary, won the election and became Owens successor.

Owens was one of 31 House Democrats who voted to not count the 20electoral votesfromOhioin the2004 United States presidential election.[9]Republican PresidentGeorge W. Bushwon Ohio by 118,457 votes.[10]Without Ohio's electoral votes, the election would have been decided by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state having one vote in accordance with theTwelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

He was a member of theCongressional Progressive Caucus.He received an "A" on theDrum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.[11][12]

Later career

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In 2006, Owens decided to not pursue re-election and retired from Congress, thereby ending his political career. Owens indicated that he wanted to spend his time writing novels and poetry. In 2006 after Owens's retirement decision, the Librarian of Congress announced that Owens would be appointed as a distinguished visiting scholar at the John W. Kluge Center with the position to commence in January 2007. During his time at the John W. Kluge Center, Owens's work focused "on a case study of the Congressional Black Caucus and its impact on national politics."[13]Owens used his time at the Kluge Center to research and write his bookThe Peacock Elite: A Subjective Case Study of the Congressional Black Caucus and Its Impact on National Politics,which was published in 2011.[14]Owens served as a senior fellow for the DuBois-Bunche Center for Public Policy atMedgar Evers College.[15]

Personal life

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Owens was married twice. His first marriage to Ethel Werfel ended in divorce after twenty-five years. From his marriage to Ethel, Owens had three sons: Brooklyn politician Chris Owens, actorGeoffrey Owens(best known for playing "Elvin" onThe Cosby Show), and Millard Owens. He then married Maria A. Cuprill (Maria Owens), and the couple had two children.[2]

Owens died October 21, 2013, in New York City of congestive heart failure. He was 77.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Major Owens Remembered".The eBulletin.New York Library Association. Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2020.Retrieved27 November2016.
  2. ^abBernstein, Adam (24 October 2013)."Major Owens: Librarian, politician and author".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon November 16, 2018.Retrieved27 November2016.
  3. ^Berry, John (3 December 2013)."Major Owens: Years in politics but always a librarian".Library Journal.Retrieved27 November2016.
  4. ^ab"2013-2014 ALA Memorial #2 - Memorial Resolution for Major Owens"(PDF).ALA.American Library Association.Retrieved27 November2016.
  5. ^"Former Brooklyn Congressman Major Owens dies aged 77".NY Daily News. 22 October 2013.RetrievedOctober 22,2013.
  6. ^"Featured African Americans" profile,Library of Congress (loc.gov)
  7. ^Byzek, Josie."Major SAYS: An interview with Rep. Major Owens".Mouth Magazine.No. September/October 1999.Retrieved28 November2016.
  8. ^NYC Board of Elections."Primary Election Kings"(PDF).vote.nyc.ny.us/html/results/2004_previous.shtml.RetrievedApril 20,2013.
  9. ^"Final vote results for roll call 007".clerk.house.gov.Retrieved5 December2023.
  10. ^Salvato, Albert (2004-12-29)."Ohio Recount Gives a Smaller Margin to Bush (Published 2004)".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2021-03-03.
  11. ^"Drummajorinstitute".Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved4 September2018.
  12. ^"Congress at the Midterm: Their 2005 Middle Class Record"(PDF).Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2 December 2006.Retrieved15 January2017.
  13. ^"US Congressman Major Owens Named Distinguished Visiting Scholar at John W. Kluge Center".Library of Congress.26 December 2006.Retrieved27 November2016.
  14. ^"Hon. Major R. Owens".Library of Congress.Retrieved27 November2016.
  15. ^"DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy: Faculty".Medgar Evers College.Archived fromthe originalon 28 November 2016.Retrieved27 November2016.
  16. ^"Former Brooklyn Congressman Major Owens dies aged 77".NY Daily News. 22 October 2013.Retrieved22 October2013.
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New York State Senate
Preceded by New York State Senate
17th District
1975–1982 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNew York's 12th congressional district
1983–1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromNew York's 11th congressional district
1993–2007 		Succeeded by
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