Samuel J. Simmons, HUD's first Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

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Fair Housing Pioneer Dies

Under Simmons' leadership, HUD established regulations requiring that an organization's efforts to expand housing and economic opportunities for minorities be considered when evaluating its request for housing and community development funds.

Simmons also was a proponent of the affirmative marketing of housing to minorities, and authored advertising guidelines that established the familiar "Equal Housing Opportunity" logo, which now appears on real estate ads and sales materials, and on lending institution documents.

Before coming to HUD, Simmons was the Director of Field Operations for the United States Commission on Civil Rights, where his leadership skills were largely responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of state advisory commissions. When he entered that position in 1964, only 13 states had established advisory commissions. When he left the position in 1969 there were 32.

Prior to joining the Commission, Simmons was a senior manager at the United States Post Office Department, now the U.S Postal Service. Appointed to that position by President John F. Kennedy, Simmons' guidance and insight lead to the development and implementation of the Postal Service's Grievance and Appeals Procedure, which addressed issues of equality for minority postal employees. For his efforts, then-Postmaster General J. Edward Day presented him with the Meritorious Service Award, the highest tribute conferred by the Post Office Department.

In 1972, he founded and became president of the National Center for Housing Management, an organization that developed training materials for more than 3,000 housing managers in the United States, Canada and Israel. Under his leadership, the Center also created a certification program for managers of housing programs for the elderly.

Always willing to share his insight and expertise, Simmons was a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal National Mortgage Association, now known as Fannie Mae, from 1978 until 1994.

Before his death, Simmons was president and CEO of the National Caucus for Black Aged, Inc., a service and advocacy organization that manages housing developments for elderly black and disabled persons, and provides employment and training opportunities for thousands of low-income senior citizens. Because of his efforts at NCBA, Simmons, in December 2002, was presented a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Presbyterian Village of the state of Michigan.

Simmons is survived by his wife of 53 years, Barbara Lett-Simmons, two sons, David Clay Simmons and Robert Allen Simmons, three brothers, and a granddaughter.