Sammie Abbott

Sammie Abdullah Abbott (April 25, 1908 - December 15, 1990) was an American politician who served as the 18th mayor of Takoma Park, Maryland, from 1980 to 1985.[4]

Sammie Abbott
Mayor of Takoma Park
In office 1980–1985
Preceded by	John D. Roth
Succeeded by	Stephen J. Del Giudice
Personal details
Born	Sammie Abdullah Abbott April 25, 1908 Ithaca, New York[1]
Died	December 15, 1990 (aged 82) Takoma Park, Maryland[2]
Spouse(s)	Ruth Abbott [3]
Children	Nancy Abbott Young, Abraham George Abbot, Susan Abbott Arisman[4]
Education	Cornell University [4]
Occupation	Graphic Designer, Activist and Politician[4]

Early life

Abbott was born in Ithaca, New York to Syrian Christian refugees fleeing Turkish persecution in Syria.[4] He enrolled in Cornell University to study architecture but dropped out a few credits short of his degree to organize farmers and the unemployed in Buffalo, New York and Niagara, New York during the Great Depression.[1][4] In 1938, he met his wife, Ruth, in a Buffalo jail when she came to visit her father, a bricklayer and union activist, who had been arrested with Abbott.[3][5] Together, they moved to Washington, D.C. in 1940, and Abbott and his father-in-law built a house in Takoma Park.[1][4]

When the United States entered World War II, Abbott enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving in the European Theater and earning a Bronze Star.[1][4]

Post-war activism

In the 1950s he actively campaigned for the adoption of the Bertrand Russell peace petition.[1][4][6] He described himself as a Marxist, and in 1954, he was accused of being a member of the Communist party and called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.[1][6][7] After his testimony, he was fired from his job as a commercial artist, turning to freelance work.[4][6]

In the 1960s and 1970s, Abbott was one of the leaders of the Emergency Committee on the Transportation Crisis (ECTC), organizing the opposition to the construction of the North Central Freeway through Northeast Washington and Takoma Park, using the slogan, "No white men's roads through black men's homes."[1][4][8] He was also part of a group of local residents who organized against construction projects threatening Takoma Park.[9] In 1978, Abbott helped to organize the first Takoma Park Folk Festival to raise money to save the Takoma Theater.[5]

Mayor of Takoma Park

Abbott ran for mayor of Takoma Park in 1978, but lost by just 8 votes.[1] He won the office in 1980, and was re-elected in 1982 and 1984.[1][2] As mayor, he oversaw the institution of rent control, installed speed bumps and four-way stops to slow traffic, and he successfully blocked the closing of public schools in Takoma Park.[1][4] During his tenure, Takoma Park declared itself a Nuclear-free zone and a sanctuary for Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees.[4][10] Abbott declared Takoma Park "Tree City, USA," and the city, which had been known as "Tacky Park," acquired the nickname of the "People's Republic of Takoma."[4][5]

In his bid for a fourth term in 1985, Abbott lost by just seven votes.[4][5]

Death and legacy

Abbott died of myelodysplasia anemia on December 15, 1990, at his Takoma Park home.[4][9] The Takoma Park City Council passed a resolution lowering the city flag to half-mast, and the Montgomery County Council declared January 5, 1991, Sammie Abbott Day.[2] Hundreds attended a memorial service that was held at the Washington Ethical Society.[2][9]

In 1991, Takoma Park added the name "Sam Abbott Citizens' Center" to its municipal building.[11] In 2002, Abbott was inducted into the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame.[5] In 2015, a plaque was dedicated for Abbott in the Citizens' Center.[12] The plaque recognizes Abbott's contributions to Takoma Park and concludes with a quote from him: "If we can't make it happen in Takoma Park, there's no hope for the nation."[13]

Abbott's wife, Ruth, died in 2009, and they are survived by their children Nancy Abbott Young, Susan Abbott, and Abraham Abbott.[3]

References

1. Angela Rooney; Tom Rooney. "Sammie Abdullah Abbott, 1908-1990" (PDF). The Harold Weisberg Archive. Beneficial-Hodson Library, Hood College. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2018. Alt URL
2. "Appreciation of Sam Abbott" (PDF). Takoma Park Newsletter (January/February 1991). The Harold Weisberg Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2019. Takoma Park's Resolution #1990-117: BE IT RESOLVED THAT on behalf of the citizens of Takoma Park, the City Council expresses our deeply felt loss at the death of this worth-while man, Sam Abbott on December 15, 1990 and our great appreciation for his many years of contributions to the City of Takoma Park. Alt URL
3. Schudel, Matt (2009-11-15). "Ruth Abbott, 89; Takoma Park, Md., activist, mayor's wife". Washington Post.
4. Armao, Jo-Ann (1990-12-18). "LEGENDARY TAKOMA PARK MAYOR DIES". Washington Post.
5. Hooker, Meredith (April 3, 2002). "An American original". The Gazette.
6. Allen, Henry (1985-09-22). "LIVES:The Angriest 77-year Old Marxist in Takoma Park". Washington Post.
7. Hearings Regarding Communism in the District of Columbia - Part 3. United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee of the Committee on Un-American Activities. July 14, 1954. pp. 5902–5909.
8. Jordan, Jamila (2015-12-17). "The Roads Not Traveled: D.C. Pushes Back Against Freeway Plans". Boundary Stones. WETA.
9. Mulligan, Terence. "Sammie Leaves Living Legacy for Takoma Park" (PDF). Takoma Voice (February 1991). The Harold Weisberg Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2019. Alt URL
10. "Takoma Park and Democracy". The New York Times. November 5, 1985.
11. "Takoma Park to Honor Former Mayor Abbott". The Washington Post. April 4, 1991.
12. Brown, Bill (April 15, 2015). "He made the city what it is today". Takoma Voice.
13. "A summary of Sammie Abbott's legacy, taken from the text of the plaque installed at the Takoma Park Community Center/Sam Abbott Citizens' Center on April 14, 2015". Historic Takoma. April 14, 2015.