Pope Barrow Billups (1889-1955)

From the New York Age, August 2, 1924.

  With February being Black History Month, the remainder of this month will be devoted to highlighting curiously named African-American political figures, the first of which is one term New York state assemblyman Pope Barrow Billups. A leading black lawyer in New York's 21st assembly district, Billups' tenure in the legislature may have been brief but his term saw him designated as an "industrious legislator" with an extensive record of proposing legislation. Billups' work included successfully guiding passage of a court bill that provided for additional municipal judges in his district, ushering in the prospect of African-Americans to be elected as judges in the city.

  A native of Athens, Georgia, Pope Barrow Billups was born in that city on October 11, 1889, the son of William D. and Elizabeth (Tucker) Billups. Bestowed the curious names Pope Barrow upon his birth, Billups appears to have been named in honor of another odd named political figure, Middleton Pope Barrow (1839-1903) a former member of the Georgia state assembly and, briefly, a U.S. Senator from that state. Billups' early schooling saw him enrolled at the Florida Baptist Academy in Jacksonville, graduating in the class of 1910. From there Billups began study at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College, and beginning in 1908 took work as a stenographer in that state.

  After several years as a stenographer, Billups decided to pursue a law degree and relocated to New York. He enrolled at the New York University Law School and one year after his graduation in 1916 was admitted to the New York bar. Pope B. Billups married in Manhattan in April 1919 to Edna Pierre Lartigue, and the couple later adopted a son, William Robinson.

  In the years following his establishing a law practice in Brooklyn, Billups was acknowledged as "one of the most successful accomplished lawyers of the race in the city." He would also gain prominence in fraternal groups in the city, holding memberships in the International Order of Odd Fellows, the Clubmen's Beneficial League, and was a past exalted ruler in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World. In addition to those clubs, Billups was retained as an attorney for the Supreme Order of Moose and the Knights of Pythias Lodges and was for several years a trustee for the Bethel Baptist Church. 

   Pope B. Billups was called to the political field in August 1924 when the Republicans of the 21st assembly district put forward his name as their candidate for the state assembly. After receiving the nomination, Billups was accorded an extensive write-up in the New York Age, then one of the most influential black newspapers published in the nation. Acknowledged as a "college and professional man" with "culture and refinement", Billups:

"Typifies the self made man of the newer generation who has successfully forged his way to the front in spite of many difficulties. It is expected that his designation by the organization will serve to unify the several militant factors in the 21st Assembly District because of the general esteem in which he is held by all Republican workers in the district."

  Billups' opponent that year was Democrat Henri W. Shields, the incumbent assemblyman who had first won election in 1922. Like Billups, Shields was a black attorney in New York City and had etched his name into the history books when he became not only the first black Democrat ever elected to the New York State Assembly but the first black Democratic legislator elected in the nation's history. That November it was Billups who emerged triumphant, besting Shields by over 1,100 votes.

  Within a few months of taking his seat in January 1925, Billups had gained press as a proposer of legislation, introducing bills that would amend the state's benevolent orders law, and amend the personal property law. Early in this session, Billups introduced a bill that would have a substantial effect on the city judiciary. This bill (later referred to as the Billups bill) would:

"Amend the New York City municipal court code in relation to change of boundaries of the Seventh district and to provide for additional justices for this district."

  With this bill's passage in March 1925, two new municipal judges were to be provided for the seventh district, as well as the creation of a new judicial district, the 10th. As this legislation would directly affect the majority-black area of Harlem, Billups' bill paved the way for African American lawmakers to be nominated for judgeships in the city. Despite producing a landmark piece of legislation that year, Billups would lose his assembly reelection bid in November 1925, being defeated by Democrat Albert Grossman by a 1,000 vote margin.
  Following his defeat, Billups returned to practicing law and in the late 1920s served as president of the Harlem Life Insurance Company. In 1927 he reemerged on the political scene when he entered the Republican primary race for Judge of the 7th District Municipal Court. Unfortunately for Billups, he would lose out to incumbent Judge Lewis A. Abrams, who'd been elected one year previously. Undeterred, Billups was again a candidate for municipal judge in 1930 and during this campaign was touted as a "fearless lawyer, tireless worker, and noted trial lawyer".

From the New York Age, September 13, 1930.

  Running as an independent candidate, Billups would again go down to defeat in the September primary, polling just 1,830 votes. With two losing judicial candidacies behind him, Billups set his sights on a seat on the New York Board of Aldermen from the 21st district, and in September 1935 won the Republican primary. Billups would go on to lose the general election that November to Democrat Eustace V. Dench, who polled 3,859 votes to his own 3,154.

  Little is known of Billups' life following his defeat for alderman. He continued with his law practice and fraternal memberships, and in 1947 is recorded as a legal advisor for the Independent Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World. Pope B. Billups died on December 6, 1955, and was later interred at the Rosedale and Rosehill Cemetery in Linden, Union County, New Jersey.