American jurist noted as the first African American to win an election as judge for the Baltimore City Supreme Bench and for his later appointment by President Jimmy Carter to be a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, becoming the first African American to serve on that bench as well.
Howard served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. During World War II, he commanded Filipino troops and ran a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.
He earned his Bachelor of Laws in 1955 and was married to Gwendolyn Mae London that same year. Howard received a Master of Arts from Drake University in 1957 and a Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School in 1968.
In 1964, Howard became assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore and later became the first African-American chief of the trial section of the state’s attorney’s office. In 1967, he became assistant city solicitor.
In 1968, 81 of the 82 judges on Maryland’s appellate and circuit courts where white males. Maryland governors had been slow to appoint blacks to the bench, even though the city was majority African American. Howard challenged the system and ran for judge without the blessings of the governor. He won by 8,000 votes over his nearest competitor, and became the first African-American to run for and win a seat on that bench.
Howard was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on 22 May 1979 to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on 4 October 1979, and received his commission on 5 October 1979, becoming the first African-American judge of the District of Maryland. He assumed senior status on 15 November 1991. His service was terminated on 16 September 2000 due to his death.
In 1992, after Howard was diagnosed with Shy–Drager syndrome, a progressive failure of the autonomic nervous system, he took a reduced case load. Howard died on 16 September 2000 in Pikesville, Maryland at the age of 77.
Link to Wikipedia biography