Thomas Oscar Fuller (October 25, 1867 – June 21, 1942) was an American Baptist minister, educator and state senator. He was elected to the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...

(district 11) in 1898 and was the only

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

representative.

Biography

Thomas Oscar Fuller was born in

Franklinton, North Carolina Franklinton is a town in Franklin County, North Carolina, Franklin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,456 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Franklinton, was established as Franklin Depot in 1839 on l ...

on October 25, 1867. He was the youngest of eight children born to Mary Eliza (née Dent) and J. Henderson Fuller, former

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. His seven siblings were four brothers (Ashbury, Edward, Joseph, and Marcus), and three sisters (Adaline, Susanna, and Victoria). Thomas was the second child and first son to be born free in the Fuller family after

President Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederate State ...

signed the

Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Proclamation had the eff ...

. He attended

Shaw University Shaw University is a private historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in the Southern United States. The school had its origin in the fo ...

in 1885 and graduated in 1890, he also received a master's degree in 1893. Thomas Fuller married Laura B. Faulkner in her hometown of

Warren County, North Carolina Warren County is a County (United States), county located in the northeastern Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina, on the northern border with Virginia, made famous for a Warren County PCB Landfill, lan ...

on June 23, 1898. In 1900 Thomas and Laura Fuller left North Carolina, and Thomas became the minister of the First Colored Baptist Church in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. The couple had two sons, Thomas Oscar Jr (1900-1956) and Erskine (1901-1908). Thomas was ordained by

Wake County Wake County, officially the County of Wake, is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake Count ...

Baptist Association and in 1902 he was named the principal of the Howe Institute in Memphis. Laura Fuller died sometime after the birth of Erskine, and Thomas would remarry to Rosa B. Allen on October 31, 1904. Rosa was also a teacher at Howe Institute. Erskine died of

Bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

at the age of 7 on November 23, 1908. This death in the family would be followed by Rosa on July 3, 1916 aged 43. Thomas would remarry a third time to Dixie E. Williams in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

on June 5, 1918. Dixie would pass away aged 67 on November 10, 1940, followed by Thomas aged 74 on June 21, 1942. The

T. O. Fuller State Park T.O. Fuller State Park is a state park in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It consists of of mostly forest located in South Memphis on Mitchell Road. It is the only state park within the city limits and is suitable for wildlife. The park ...

is named in his honour.

Works

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fuller, Thomas Oscar 1867 births 1942 deaths African-American state legislators in North Carolina 19th-century African-American politicians North Carolina state senators People from Franklinton, North Carolina Shaw University alumni Religious leaders from North Carolina Baptists from North Carolina 20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States 19th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly