Simeon Golar
Simeon Golar (1928–2013) was an American jurist who served as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court in Queens County.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Golar was born in 1928 in Chester, South Carolina, to teenage mother Lottie Jackson and was adopted soon afterwards by the Golar family.[2] He moved to New York City as a small child and attended the city's public schools.[2] After earning a business degree from the City College of New York, he attended the New York University School of Law, where one of his classmates was future mayor David Dinkins.[2]
Career
[edit]Golar entered politics with the Liberal Party and in 1966 ran, unsuccessfully but notably for the era, for New York State attorney general, polling nearly 285,000 votes.[3] In 1967, Mayor John V. Lindsay appointed him chairman of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, where he urged civic groups to file discrimination complaints to test the city's fair-housing laws.[4] Three years later, Lindsay elevated him to NYCHA chair, making Golar the first head of the authority who had himself grown up in public housing.[5][6] His tenure coincided with the contentious Forest Hills low-income housing plan, where he defended integration in the face of fierce community opposition.[7]
Personal life
[edit]In 1956, Golar married Brooklyn schoolteacher Pauline Wellington and they had two daughters, Katherine and Charlotte Golar Richie, who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and ran for mayor of Boston.[2][3]
References
[edit]- ^ Roberts, Sam (2013-08-14). "Simeon Golar, Who Fought for Public Housing, Dies at 84". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b c d "Obituary: Simeon Golar, former N.Y. judge, father of Boston mayoral candidate Charlotte Golar Richie – The Bay State Banner". baystatebanner.com. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "Charlotte Golar Richie's father, a New York judge, dies". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Human Rights Commission Chairman Urges Filing of Complaint Against Housing Bias". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Simeon Golar appointed Chairman of Housing Authority; Mayor John V. Lindsay answers questions on 30-cent fare, 1970 January 16 | NYCMA Collection Guides". a860-collectionguides.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "1,000 HONOR GOLAR, INCLUDING LINDSAY". The New York Times. 1973-06-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "School Colors Episode 3: 'The Battle of Forest Hills' : Code Switch". NPR. 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2025-06-13.