Tuesday, April 5, 2005
On April 1, Robert C. Wood, the second Secretary of the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development, passed away. He was 81.
Although his tenure as Secretary was brief, Wood was instrumental in the founding
of the Department. In the early 1960s, Wood served on a number of presidential
task forces that eventually led to the creation of HUD, and in 1966, upon the
appointment of Robert Weaver, Wood became HUD's first Under Secretary. In 1969,
upon the resignation of Robert C. Weaver, he briefly served as a recess-appointed
Secretary.
After his tenure at HUD, Wood pursued a career in academics, becoming the director
of the Harvard-MIT Joint Center for Urban Studies, the president of the University
of Massachusetts in Boston, and a professor at Wesleyan University.
A summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University, Wood received a master's
degree in public administration and a doctorate in government and political
economy from Harvard.
Remembered as a fun, caring Secretary with a fierce and passionate devotion
improving urban America, Wood will be sincerely missed.
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