Biography · Politics & Public Life
William Townsend
1914–2005
United States
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Biography
William H. Townsend (July 30, 1914 – September 15, 2005) was an American politician, civil rights activist, and optometrist who was one of the first African Americans to serve in the Arkansas State Legislature since the Reconstruction era. He was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives as a Democrat representing Little Rock in 1972 and went on to serve twelve terms in office until 1997.
Sources & collection details
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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13