COVER STORY SPOTLIGHT
From Sharecropper to the 95 th Mayor of the City of Brotherly Love: The Honorable Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode
Q: What do you love most about Kappa? A: Kappa Men are outstanding leaders in city, states and in our nation. I love their focus of serve to others, especially to young people. It has always been my desire to be a Kappa and to work with other brothers to help develop young people. No other fraternity spends as much time and energy working with the youth as does Kappa! Q: What inspired you to serve on the state Public Utility Commission? A: I was very happy running an non- profit corporation (the Philadelphia Council for Community Advancement) in 1978 when then Governor Milton Shapp called and offered me the posi- tion on the State Public Utility Commis- sion as a member, recognizing that the PUC was responsible for over $5 billion in utility companies which included gas, water, electric and telephone. I leaped at the opportunity. I was confirmed by the State Senate by a 48-0 vote and within six months became its chairman – becoming the first African Ameri- can member and chair of this body – I presided over the Three-Mile Island accident in 1979 and formulated a rate structure that satisfied both the winners and losers of this accident. Q: What are you most proud of with respect to your service on the PUC? A: I am proud of the fact that I became the first African American member and chairman of the PUC – breaking
Brother W. Wil- sonGoode was born into a family of tenent farmers near Seaboard, North Carolina. He graduated from John Bartram High School and earned his degree from Morgan State Uni-
Q: What was life like in Seaboard, North Carolina? A: Seaboard North Carolina was a small rural town with a population of about 500 people. Of course, we did not live in the town but on a sharecropping farm about three miles from the center of town. We worked someone else’s farm and received only 20% of the money from the crops that were harvested from the farm. Our schools were segregated and we walked to school approximately 2 miles each way. We did not have run- ning water, electricity, tv, or telephone while I lived there – we had a radio with one station. Q: Why did you choose to attend Mor- gan State University? A: I wanted to attend a Historical Black College –therefore, I chose Morgan State University. Because I knew folks from Philadelphia who were attending Morgan State University – I had heard a lot about their track and football team and their history department, and since I wanted to major in history – I ap- plied, was accepted and was offered a financial plan that worked for me. “ I am grateful to our Founders for their vision of what this Fraternity could be- come, and I am proud to add my small contribution to that legacy.” versity. He then graduated from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. He recently sat down with the Journal.
Q: What extracurricular activities were you involved in? A: I was the Sports Editor of the Morgan State University Newspaper and sports column each edition. I was actively involved in student government. Most of time I spent most of my time demonstrating against the segregated shopping center near the campus where they would not permit students to eat in restaurants or attend the movie the- ater. It was not until a few years after I graduated in 1961 did the movie and restaurant permit students to attend and eat. I will like to note that Morgan State University now owns the entire shopping center. Q: Why were you interested in Kappa? A: I should note that I started pledg- ing while I was a sophomore at Morgan State but had to drop off the line be- cause my work schedule conflicted with the pledging activities, and I had to work to stay in school – it was a part of my financial package. I became a member of the Philadelphia (PA) Alumni Chap- ter in April 1996 – I love Kappa and always wanted to be in fellowship with its members!
Publishing achievement for 105 years
THE JOURNAL SPRING ISSUE | 31
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker