Washington, DC’s William Spaulding: Exemplary teacher, engineer, accomplished politician, and dedicated public servant. Photo credit: Historical Council Photographs.

Many fine educators have also earned distinction in the political realm. One of these is William Spaulding, a teacher who was elected as a member of the inaugural Council of the District of Columbia when Washington, DC, earned home rule.

William was born on June 15, 1924, in North Carolina. William attended Howard University, a traditionally Black institution of higher learning located in Washington, DC. There he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Once he earned his degree, William taught school in DC public schools. His career there spanned from 1947 to 1952. He also taught at Howard University from 1950 to 1960. In addition, during that period he served as an engineer at the National Security Agency (NSA) from 1952 to 1974.

When Congress passed the District of Columbia home rule bill, the former public school teacher left his position with the NSA. He was elected on the Democratic ticket to a seat on the newly-formed DC Council, where he served from 1975 to 1987.

In 1980, William became a professor at the University of the District of Columbia, another historically Black college. He also served as the Chairman of the Fort Lincoln Foundation, a Board member of the Kidney Foundation, and a member of the American Heart Association. He also served as the Director of the Department of Administrative Services for the District of Columbia Court System.

In 2013, the University of the District of Columbia conferred upon William an honorary doctorate, in recognition of his nearly 60 years of “dedicated service to DC Public Schools and other organizations on behalf of the city’s youth, reflecting his unwavering support of education as a means of improving individual lives and the whole community.” To read the entire proclamation, see this link: Conferral of Honorary Degree.