Larry Meredith, lawyer and first Black Erie resident elected to City Council, dies at 76
Larry Meredith, an Erie lawyer, community advocate and the first Black city resident elected to Erie City Council, has died.
He was 76.
Meredith died on Monday after a brief illness, said Gary Horton, chief executive of the Urban Erie Community Development Corp., president of Erie’s NAACP branch and a lifelong friend of Meredith’s.
Obituary: Larry Daniel Meredith, Esq.
“Larry was one of the greatest citizens that Erie has ever produced,” Horton said. “His mark on the political landscape in Erie is undeniable as the first Black elected to City Council. And he was a giant in this community.”
Meredith made local political history on Nov. 8, 1977, when at 30 years old he became the first Black city resident to win a City Council seat Meredith would serve on City Council through 1981, including a term as council president.
He later returned to the council dais in 2001 as a City Council appointee to fill the unexpired term of Gayle Wright.
Outside of elective office, Meredith played key roles in both city and Erie County government during his career.
He worked as a deputy city solicitor for several years under Rick Filippi’s administration and served as Erie County’s personnel director in the administration of former County Executive Mark DiVecchio.
Meredith was also the former deputy director of the John F. Kennedy Center and a former vice-president of the Erie Airport Authority. He also ran unsuccessfully for Erie County judge.
Another decades-long friend of Meredith’s was lawyer Ian Murray, who ran Meredith’s successful 1977 campaign for City Council along with Fred Rush, a former aide to longtime Erie Mayor Lou Tullio.
Murray, 72, now lives in Maine. Murray, a former city councilman, was a longtime member of the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee and a former chairman and executive committee member of the Erie County Democratic Party.
“We had to break down a lot of historical barriers and prejudices and suspicions with that campaign, and it was really tough,” Murray said. “We went out and campaigned hard across the city to all of the different demographics and ethnic groups so they could see Larry not as a threat, but someone that people could work with and that voters could have trust in.
“And Larry broke down those barriers,” Murray said. “Because he was such a good candidate, and because he was a man who inspired people.”
A 1966 graduate of East High School, Meredith received his bachelor's degree and law degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Meredith also worked as a county assistant public defender from 1975 to 1977 and from 1992 to 2001 and was director of Intercultural Relations at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1992.
The city of Erie paid tribute to Meredith's accomplished career on its Facebook page in February while celebrating Black History Month.
Meredith came full circle at the Bagnoni Council Chambers at City Hall on Jan. 3, 2022, when he administered the oath of office to his nephew, current City Councilman and fellow Democrat Maurice Troop, during a swearing-in ceremony there.
Take your seats: Troop, Flores, Nelson join Erie City Council
"He was a good man, and I’m sorry to hear of his passing,” Erie Mayor Joe Schember said. “Larry did a lot of great things for the community and the city. I’m sorry that we’ve lost him.”
Horton added: "He was an honor student in college. Our first Black councilman. Our first Black candidate for judge. Larry exemplified the kinds of opportunities that we’ve fought for since the Civil Rights Movement.”
Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Larry Meredith, first Black person elected to Erie City Council, has died
