Charles Hamilton Houston was an attorney. He founded a law firm, Houston & Gardner, with Wendell P. Gardner, Sr. Charles received his law license in 1923. Early in his career, from 1929 to 1935, Houston served as Dean of the Howard University School of Law, which was known as a major center for training black lawyers. Charles Houston was a founding member of the affiliated Washington Bar Association. He was the first General Counsel of the NAACP. His work towards equal rights helped pave the way for the Supreme Court to rule outlawing school segregation. Attorney Charles Houston left Howard University to serve as the first general counsel. He played a pivotal role in nearly every Supreme Court Civil Rights case in the two decades before the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954. He worked consistently, fighting against Jim Crow laws that prevented blacks from serving on juries and accessing housing.
More Info
Church Affiliation:St. Vincent de Paul Church
Role in the Movement:As an attorney, Charles Hamilton Houston worked tirelessly to fight against Jim Crow laws that prevented blacks from serving on juries and accessing housing.
Birth Place:Washington, D.C.
Born Date:September 3, 1895
Deceased Date:April 22, 1950
Place Lived as Adult:Washington, D.C.
Church Location:Baltimore, MD