Former Congressman Towns '56 Receives Key to New York City

NEW YORK – Longtime U.S. Rep. Edolphus Towns ’56 has been honored with one of the most prestigious awards given in New York: The key to the Big Apple.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams made the award to the former congressman in an intimate Dec. 14 ceremony in Brooklyn, where Towns forged his historic career in public life.

Born in Chatham, North Carolina, in 1934, Towns earned his undergraduate degree in sociology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and served in the Army. He earned a master’s degree in sociology from Adelphi University in 1973 and in 1976 became the first Black deputy borough president of Brooklyn.

He represented the iconic historically Black neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East New York and Crown Heights, where he was known for a keen focus on urban issues, including improving constituent access to affordable housing, education, healthcare and economic development, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

In 1983, he was elected to represent the area in the House of Representatives, where he served for 30 years, never winning an election with less than 85% of the general election vote. He rose in House ranks, serving on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which he chaired, Public Works and Transportation, Energy and Commerce and in numerous caucuses. U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who serves today as House minority leader, succeeded him after Towns opted to step down in 2013 and become a senior advisor for the government relations and lobbying firm Gray Global Advisors.

Today at 91, he continues to work, serving as a special adviser for Liakas Law, PC. He is also reportedly working on a book – his second – titled “Harvesting the Power.”

“I feel strongly about giving back to the community and helping people, and I’m so glad that I’ve been able to do that on behalf of the people of Brooklyn,” Towns said at the ceremony, surrounded by family, friends, supporters, elected officials and several members of the judiciary. “Brooklyn has been extremely good to me.”

Towns is married to the former Gwendolyn Forbes '59, and politics, public service and North Carolina A&T run through the Towns family. Their son, Darryl '90, served in the New York State Assembly before being appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to become commissioner and chief executive of New York State Homes and Community Renewal agency.

Their daughter, Deidra, also ran for State Assembly, and granddaughter Jasmine E. Towns is a 2018 A&T graduate. Towns is also a distant cousin to White House correspondent April Ryan.