This week in Black History

January 26, 1990--Elaine Weddington Steward, lawyer, became the first Black woman executive of a professional baseball organization when she was named assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox on this day. A native of New York City, she earned a B.S. in 1984 from St. John's University and graduated from St. John's University School of Law in 1987. Steward was admitted to the New York State Bar in April 1988, where she served as an intern in the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball before she joined the Red Sox in July 1988. She later was named assistant general manager. In February 1995 she was appointed Red Sox legal counsel and continued as assistant general manager. Steward currently serves as legal counsel to the Boston Red Sox.

January 30, 1979--Franklin A. Thomas, an attorney, was named president of the Ford Foundation, the country's largest private philanthropic institution, on this day. During his 15-year tenure, he was credited with steering millions toward projects involving minorities and women. Thomas also increased the foundation's endowment nearly threefold, to roughly $6 billion. A Brooklyn native, Thomas was born in 1934 and earned his bachelor's (1956) and law degree (1963) at Columbia University. He also served as an Air Force navigator (1956-60). Upon earning his law degree, Thomas successfully tackled a series of jobs-assistant U.S. attorney in New York, deputy police commissioner, and president of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corp. (1967-77), a non-profit agency for improving distressed urban communities in New York City. He returned to private practice and accepted the Ford post two years later. Until recently, Thomas had served as chairman of the defunct September 11 Fund, which addressed the needs of the September 11, 2001 terrorist victims, their families and the affected communities.