January 17: Robert C. Weaver Becomes the First Secretary of HUD (1966)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who do not have a safe home to live in.
History Note
In 1965 the U.S. government combined the work of several agencies into a new Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The mission of this department is to coordinate and support efforts to make safe, quality, and affordable housing available to Americans.
Robert C. Weaver (1907-1997) was the great-grandson of a enslaved person. Weaver earned a Ph.D. at Harvard and worked as an adviser to federal, state, and local governments. He was also a leader in the civil rights movement.
President Lyndon Johnson nominated Robert Weaver to be the first secretary of HUD, and the Senate confirmed him on January 17, 1966. He was sworn in the next day. Weaver became the first African American to hold a Cabinet-level position.
Secretary Robert C. Weaver with President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House. Photo by Frank Wolfe / LBJ Library.
Learn More
Here’s a video about Robert Weaver.
Learn about the Department of Housing and Urban Development and another HUD secretary, Dr. Ben Carson, at Homeschool History.
