On July 11, 2000, the HUD Headquarters Building located at 451 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC, will be renamed the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building. Please view below Local 476 President Eitches' Memorandum to HUD employees regarding this event.

Robert C. Weaver
HUD's first Secretary (1966-69)

July 10, 2000

MEMORANDUM TO: HUD Family

FROM: Eddie Eitches, President

SUBJECT: Dedication of Robert Weaver Building

At this point everyone should know that the HUD building will be named for Robert Weaver tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10:30 AM in front of the building or, depending on the weather, in the cafeteria. Robert Weaver became HUD’s first Secretary in 1966. As the President of AFGE Local 476, which represents the 2,200 bargaining unit employees in the National Capital Region, I am especially pleased that HUD has taken this action. All HUD employees should try to attend.

Robert Weaver was nominated to be the head of much of what is HUD in 1961. He had three degrees from Harvard, including a doctorate and had a stellar 27-year career in housing and related fields, including high positions in government in New York Nevertheless, at the confirmation hearing, the Senate committee chairman called the nomination "controversial." Apparently, one of Dr. Weaver’s great sins was thinking that segregated housing should not be allowed.

It should also be noted that at the hearing Dr. Weaver was criticized for activities relating to unions. Senator Blakley from Texas asked Dr. Weaver whether he had been a discussion leader at the National Negro Congress in 1937. Senator Blakley attacked the Congress’s first president, A. Philip Randolph, the great union organizer and a socialist. Mr. Randolph had always tied his union activities to the broader vision of economic and social progress for blacks. Dr. Weaver stood his ground and praised Mr. Randolph as "a man of great standing in the Negro community and the labor community."
Dr. Weaver acknowledged that he did speak, but so did President Roosevelt at the same conference.

Senator Blakley also criticized Dr. Weaver for attending a dinner in honor of Ferdinand Smith, President of the National Maritime Union, who had been one of the strongest advocates for equality of opportunity of Black members. Dr. Weaver again stood his ground and praised Mr. Smith’s work. Dr. Weaver, too, had worked to integrate the unions.

Very probably, some Senators opposed the nomination because Dr. Weaver was an African American. Throughout the hearing, witnesses made patronizing remarks like, "We hold nothing against Mr. Weaver because he is a member of the Negro Race; in fact, we commend him for having received a fine education and advancing himself as high in life as he has." It should be noted that President Kennedy had wanted to make HUD a cabinet department in 1961, but his efforts were blocked because of his clear plan to appoint Dr. Weaver.

Local 476 is honored that Dr. Weaver is being posthumously honored. Our members will have even more pride as we walk into this building and serve the public in providing housing and community development to our nation.