Alton Waldon
Alton Ronald Waldon Jr. (December 21, 1936 – June 9, 2023) was an American politician and jurist from New York who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1986 to 1987 in addition to stints in the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 1986 and New York State Senate from 1991 to 2000, as a member of the Democratic Party.
Alton Waldon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the New York Court of Claims | |
| In office January 10, 2000 – c. 2009[1] | |
| Appointed by | George Pataki |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 6th district | |
| In office June 10, 1986 – January 3, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph P. Addabbo |
| Succeeded by | Floyd Flake |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 10th district | |
| In office January 1, 1991 – January 1, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Jenkins |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm Smith |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 33rd district | |
| In office January 1, 1983 – June 10, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | John T. Flack |
| Succeeded by | Barbara M. Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alton Ronald Waldon Jr. December 21, 1936 Lakeland, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 2023 (aged 86) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | John Jay College (BS) New York Law School (JD) |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1956–1959 |
| Rank | Specialist 4[2] |
Early life and education
Born in Lakeland, Florida, Waldon graduated from Boys High School in Brooklyn, New York in 1954 and went on to earn a B.S. from John Jay College in New York City in 1968 and a J.D. from New York Law School in New York City in 1973.
Career
Military service and city career
Waldon served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1959. He was appointed NYS Deputy Commissioner of Human Rights in 1975. He served as counsel in the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
New York State Assembly
Waldon was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 1986, sitting in the 185th and 186th New York State Legislatures. Waldon was a delegate to the 1984 and 1988 Democratic National Conventions.
U.S. House of Representatives
In a special election to fill the New York's 6th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives vacated by the late Joseph P. Addabbo, Waldon was elected as a Democrat to the 99th United States Congress in 1986 and served from June 10, 1986, to January 3, 1987. Waldon became the first elected African-American member of Congress from Queens, New York.[3]
In September 1986, Waldon ran for a full term, but was defeated in the Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic, majority-black district—by Floyd H. Flake. Waldon was then appointed to the New York State Commission of Investigation.
New York State Senate
Waldon was a member of the New York State Senate from 1991 to 1999, sitting in the 189th, 190th, 191st, 192nd and 193rd New York State Legislatures. In 1998, he tried to regain his congressional seat after Flake had resigned, but was defeated in the special election by state assemblyman Gregory Meeks.
Judicial career
In June 1999, he was nominated to the New York Court of Claims;[4] and was confirmed by the State Senate in December.[5]
Death
Waldon died on June 9, 2023, at the age of 86.[6]
Sources
- United States Congress. "Alton Waldon (id: W000038)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
References
- Gasques v. State
- Black Americans in Congress, 1870–1989 (1990)
- "Warmth and work greet Waldon". The New York Times. July 31, 1986. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- Pataki Nominates a Democrat for a Judgeship by Jonathan P. Hicks, in The New York Times on June 9, 1999
- Race Draws Unexpected Attention by Jonathan P. Hicks, in The New York Times on March 26, 2000
- Alton Waldon, retired Queens judge and former NYC congressman, dies at 86