Occupation AttorneyJudge Resigned 1969 Political party Democratic Party | Name Russell Sugarmon Rank Corporal | |
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Full Name Russell Bertram Sugarmon, Jr. Spouse(s) Mariam DeCosta (divorced)Regina Spence Children Tarik SugarmonElena SugarmonErika SugarmonMonique SugarmonTina SugarmonCarol Sugarmon Alma mater Morehouse CollegeRutgers UniversityHarvard Law SchoolBoston University Role Former Tennessee State Representative Previous office Tennessee State Representative (1967–1969) Unit United States Army Adjutant General's Corps | ||
Service/branch United States Army | ||
Local 24 News Political Analyst & Commentator Otis Sanford On Judge Russell Sugarmon
Russell Bertram Sugarmon, Jr. (born May 11, 1929), is an American politician and judge in the state of Tennessee.
Contents
- Local 24 News Political Analyst Commentator Otis Sanford On Judge Russell Sugarmon
- Early life
- Career
- Personal life
- Works and publications
- References
Early life
Sugarmon was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Russell and Lessye Hank Sugarmon. He grew up in South Memphis and attended Co-Operative Gammar School.
In 1946, Sugarmon graduated from Booker T. Washington High School when he was 15 years old.
Sugarman attended Morehouse College for one year. He received an A.B. in Political Science from Rutgers University in 1950. In 1953 he received a law degree Harvard Law School and attended Boston University's Graduate School of Finance.
Career
He practiced as an attorney in Memphis, Tennessee in the firm Ratner, Sugarmon, Lucas, Willis and Caldwell.
In 1959, Sugarmon ran for Public Works Commissioner, the first African-American in Memphis to run for a major city office. The outgoing commissioner, Henry Loeb, forced most of the other candidates to withdraw from the election, so as not to split the white vote among several candidates. Bill Ferris, the only white man remaining on the ballot, won the post.
Sugarmon served in the Tennessee House of Representatives as a Democrat from the 11th District from 1967 to 1969.
Personal life
Sugarmon's son, Tarik B. Sugarmon, is a Memphis City Court judge who in 2014 ran for Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court.