Representative Edolphus Towns

Edolphus “Ed” Towns Jr. (born July 21, 1934) is an American educator, military veteran, and politician who served as a Representative from New York in the United States Congress from 1983 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he built a three-decade career in the House of Representatives representing districts based in Brooklyn and became a prominent figure in congressional oversight. His 15 consecutive terms in office coincided with a significant period in American history, during which he participated actively in the legislative process and represented the interests of his urban, largely African American constituency.

Towns was born in Chadbourn, Columbus County, North Carolina, where he spent his early years in the segregated South. He later moved north and pursued higher education, reflecting a broader mid‑20th‑century migration of African Americans seeking expanded opportunities. He attended North Carolina A&T State University, a historically Black university in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. After completing his undergraduate studies, he served in the United States Army, gaining experience and discipline that would inform his later public service. Following his military service, he continued his education, undertaking graduate work at Adelphi University in New York, which helped prepare him for a career in social work, education, and administration.

Before entering elective office, Towns worked as an educator and social worker in New York City. He served as a social worker in the Brooklyn community and later became an administrator in the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, where he was involved in hospital administration and public health issues. He also taught at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, further establishing his reputation as an educator and community advocate. His early professional life was marked by engagement with issues of health care access, social services, and education, all of which would become recurring themes in his legislative priorities.

Towns’s political career began in local and state politics. He was elected to the New York State Assembly, representing a Brooklyn district, where he served from 1975 until his election to Congress. In the Assembly, he focused on community development, housing, and health care, building a base of support in central Brooklyn. His work at the state level, combined with his background in social services and education, positioned him as a strong advocate for urban communities and laid the groundwork for his successful run for the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1982, Towns was elected to the United States House of Representatives, taking office on January 3, 1983. During his 30 years in Congress, he represented Brooklyn-based districts: first New York’s 11th congressional district from 1983 to 1993, and then the 10th congressional district from 1993 to 2013. Over the course of his 15 terms, he became known for his work on health care, telecommunications, transportation, and urban policy. He served on key committees, including the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and was involved in legislation affecting public health, consumer protection, and infrastructure. As a member of the House, Towns consistently participated in the democratic process, advocating for his constituents on issues such as affordable housing, education funding, and economic development in Brooklyn.

Towns reached the peak of his congressional influence when he became Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, serving in that role from 2009 to 2011 during the 111th Congress. As chairman, he oversaw investigations into federal government operations, contracting, and regulatory practices, and played a role in examining the government’s response to the financial crisis and other major policy challenges of the period. His tenure on the committee also drew scrutiny in connection with the investigation into Countrywide Financial’s “VIP” loan program. As chairman, he initially delayed the investigation by refusing to issue a subpoena for Bank of America records. After The Wall Street Journal reported that public loan documents indicated Towns had received two mortgages from the VIP program, he issued the subpoena, and his office denied any wrongdoing.

In December 2010, Towns announced that he would not seek the position of Ranking Minority Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the next Congress, even though his seniority and prior service as chair would typically have positioned him for that role. Reports at the time indicated that he lacked the support of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who was said to be concerned that Towns would not be a sufficiently aggressive leader in an anticipated struggle with incoming committee chair Darrell Issa of California. Following Towns’s withdrawal from consideration, Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland was chosen by the House Democratic Caucus as the committee’s ranking member, defeating Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York in an internal party vote.

On April 16, 2012, Towns announced that he would retire at the end of his 15th term and would not seek reelection in 2012. His district, centered in Brooklyn, had been renumbered as the 8th congressional district following redistricting and experienced a significant increase in white voters, though it remained a majority-Black district. Towns’s decision marked the close of a 30-year congressional career during which he had become one of the longest-serving members of the New York delegation. After leaving Congress in January 2013, he remained a respected elder statesman within Brooklyn political circles and the broader Democratic Party, drawing on his long experience as an educator, military veteran, and legislator.