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Grace <I>Towns</I> Hamilton

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Grace Towns Hamilton

Birth
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, USA
Death
17 Jun 1992 (aged 85)
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, USA
Burial
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, USA GPS-Latitude: 33.7017326, Longitude: -84.3736038
Memorial ID
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Grace Towns Hamilton (1907–1992) was the first African American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly. As executive director of the Atlanta Urban League 1943–1960, Hamilton was involved in issues of housing, health care, schools and voter registration within the black community. She was 1964 co-founder of the bi-racial Partners for Progress to help government and the private sector effect compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1973, Hamilton became a principal architect for the revision of the Atlanta City Charter. She was advisor to the United States Civil Rights Commission 1985–1987.
Grace Towns was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 10, 1907, to community activist parents George Alexander Towns Sr. and Nellie McNair Towns. She was the second of five children. Her sister Helen had died in 1905. Grace was followed by siblings George Jr. in 1909, Myron in 1910 and Harriet in 1920. The Towns family lived at University Place at Atlanta University, where the children's playmates were racially mixed. Atlanta University had been integrated since the 19th century. The family belonged to the First Congregational Church of Atlanta. Prior to her marriage, Grace Towns had taught at both Clark College and the Atlanta School of Social Work.
Grace Towns Hamilton (1907–1992) was the first African American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly. As executive director of the Atlanta Urban League 1943–1960, Hamilton was involved in issues of housing, health care, schools and voter registration within the black community. She was 1964 co-founder of the bi-racial Partners for Progress to help government and the private sector effect compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1973, Hamilton became a principal architect for the revision of the Atlanta City Charter. She was advisor to the United States Civil Rights Commission 1985–1987.
Grace Towns was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 10, 1907, to community activist parents George Alexander Towns Sr. and Nellie McNair Towns. She was the second of five children. Her sister Helen had died in 1905. Grace was followed by siblings George Jr. in 1909, Myron in 1910 and Harriet in 1920. The Towns family lived at University Place at Atlanta University, where the children's playmates were racially mixed. Atlanta University had been integrated since the 19th century. The family belonged to the First Congregational Church of Atlanta. Prior to her marriage, Grace Towns had taught at both Clark College and the Atlanta School of Social Work.


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