As HUD celebrates its 50th Anniversary, it is my honor to nominate Waite. H.
Madison, III as one of the HUD50. Mr. Madison retired from HUD in 2010 at the GS-15
grade level from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, after 42 years of Federal
service. The great majority of which was as a HUD employee.
Of all of Mr. Madison’s accomplishments during his tenure at HUD, he is most proud of the
role he played in the integration of public housing in Vidor, Texas. In January of 1994, after
Secretary Henry G. Cisneros went to Vidor and took control of the local housing authority,
HUD moved four black households into an all-white housing project in this East Texas
town, which had not had a permanent black resident in more than 60 years. Federal
marshals and the police kept watch, HUD officials, which included Waite. H. Madison, III
were present. Mr. Madison, at that time a manager in FH&EO, volunteered to be part of the
HUD team. It was the first time since the mid-1960's that the Federal Government had
enforced the integration of a housing project with such an armed escort. Residents of the
74-unit housing complex had resisted all other efforts at integration. He took on this task,
at great risk to his personal well-being, because of his commitment to fair housing and his
sense of justice. He wanted to be part of achieving integration in housing projects where
judicial integration orders had either failed or been ignored.
Vidor, a town of about 11,000 people set in Texas's piney woods near the Louisiana border,
was known several years ago as a center of Klan activity. Ringed by a chain-link fence, the
complex, Vidor Village, remained under 24-hour police guard during his stay there, which
was almost three months. The complex consisted of clusters of modest beige-vinyl and redbrick apartment units surrounded by oaks and loblolly pines.
The new residents, who volunteered to move into Vidor Village, were accompanied by
several moving vans and officials in H.U.D. cars, along with a police escort. It was a very
tense situation; so much so, HUD employees were assigned their own Federal Marshalls for
protection.
At the time, Secretary Cisneros stated, "We don't in America in 1993 anywhere tell anyone
they can't live anywhere because of the color of their skin". Mr. Madison whole heartedly
agreed with that sentiment and used his skills to achieve HUD’s mission.
Thank you for your consideration.
Some of the key positions that Mr. Madison served in were as follows:
DIRECTOR
December 2008 to September 2010 (retired)
Departmental Office of Operations and Coordination
Labor Relations Division
Grade: GS-340-15
SENIOR DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS OFFICER
Departmental Office of Operations and Coordination
Grade: GS-340-15
April 2004 to December 2008
DIRECTOR
FH&EO Office of Field Oversight
Grade: GS-340-15
February 1998 to April 2004
DIRECTOR
FH&EO Field Monitoring and Management Planning Staff
GS-343-15
July 1996 to January 1998
DIRECTOR
FH&EO Field Liaison Staff
Grade: GS-343-15
May 1994 to June 1996
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
FH&EO Office of Investigations, (Detail)
Grade: GS-360-15
July 1993 to April 1994
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO FH&EO
May 1992 to July 1993
DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT
Grade: GS-301-14
PROGRAM ANALYST
FH&EO QUALITY ASSURANCE STAFF
Grade: GS-343-14
June 1991 to April 1992
FH&EO Desk Officer
July 1989 to June 1991
Grade: GS-343-14
SUPERVISORY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST FH&EO June 1981 to July 1989
Grade: GS-360-14