17 Facts About Sharon Pratt

Sharon Pratt was born to DC Superior Court judge Carlisle Edward Pratt and Mildred "Peggy" Pratt.

Sharon Pratt excelled at baseball but did not pursue the sport in adolescence.

Sharon Pratt received a JD degree from the Howard University School of Law in 1968.

Sharon Pratt married Arrington Dixon in 1966 and has two daughters with him; they divorced after sixteen years.

Sharon Pratt was a member of the Democratic National Committee from the District of Columbia, the first woman to hold that position.

Sharon Pratt became the first woman and first African American to serve in that role.

Upset with the decline of her hometown, Sharon Pratt announced at the 1988 Democratic National Convention that she would challenge incumbent mayor Marion Barry in the 1990 election.

Sharon Pratt was the only candidate to have officially announced her plans to run for mayor when Barry was arrested on drug charges and dropped out of the race in early 1990.

Sharon Pratt was sworn in as mayor of Washington on January 2,1991.

Sharon Pratt made good on her promises to clean house, requesting the resignations of all Barry appointees the day after her election; however, as she began to slash the city employment payroll, her political support began to weaken.

Sharon Pratt angered labor leaders who claimed she had promised not to fire union employees, and began mandating unpaid furloughs and wage freezes citywide.

Sharon Pratt took great pains to remove all of Barry's political cronies, even though these layoffs hurt her administration as well.

Sharon Pratt lost standing with the DC Council when she supported Council member Linda Cropp to serve as acting Chair after the suicide of John A Wilson in May 1993; instead, the Council chose John L Ray.

Sharon Pratt has lost them and with them, we believe, her chance to enact the measures she has stood for.

In 2003, Sharon Pratt was awarded a $235,000 contract from the District of Columbia's Department of Health to be the city's main contact with federal homeland security agencies.

Sharon Pratt was required to meet with senior federal officials and write a report on potential opportunities, especially resource-sharing agreements.

Sharon Pratt was required to look for additional funding sources.