Bedford, Louis A. Jr.

1926-2014 · Contribution: 1966

First African American judge in Dallas County, Texas

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Law & Civil Rights

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Impact on the world

Became the first African American judge in Dallas County, Texas in 1966, a significant breakthrough in one of the state's largest counties during the height of the civil rights era.

Life & background

Admitted to the bar in 1951, Bedford became the first African American judge in Dallas County, Texas in 1966, a milestone documented in the book 'Quest for Justice: Louis A. Bedford Jr. and the Struggle for Equal Rights in Texas.'

Sources

  1. Dallas Morning News; Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas (Bedford, Louis Arthur, Jr.); J.L. Turner Legal Foundation / Dallas Bar Association