Thomas C. Brogan Papers on The Mayor's Task Force on Civil Disorders

About Thomas C. Brogan

Dr. Thomas C. Brogan is a retired professor of Political Science at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. Brogan graduated from LaSalle College with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1966, followed by a Master's Degree in 1970 from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a National Defense Education Act Fellow. He completed his Doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh in 1976. In 1968, while at the University of Pittsburgh, Brogan was awarded an American Political Science Association Fellow in local government, enabling him to work in the administration of Pittsburgh Mayor Joseph M. Barr.

About the Mayor's Task Force on Civil Disorders

During this time, Pittsburgh, like many cities around the United States, experienced a period of civil unrest following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. From April 4 through April 12 protests broke out in several Pittsburgh neighborhoods including Manchester, Homewood-Brushton, and Hazelwood, but the Hill District was perhaps the area that experienced the most unrest. Following the demonstrations, Mayor Joseph M. Barr created the Task Force on Civil Disorders. While working in the Mayor's office, Thomas C. Brogan was assigned to work with Kenneth Mason, a brother of City Councilmen Louis Mason, to research the causes of the protests and recommend actions that local government could take to address priority issues in the Black community, as part of the Mayor's Task Force on Civil Disorders. The Task Force was chaired by Burrell Cohen, the executive secretary to Mayor Barr, and included two members of Pittsburgh City Council and four city employees. Research began within a few weeks of the protests and would continue into the summer of 1968. In July of 1968, a final report was issued. Ultimately, the main issues that were recommended for local government to address were centered around housing, business opportunities, and jobs. In response, Mayor Barr increased the local police force, reallocated funds for “visual improvements” to “ghetto” neighborhoods, purchased housing to provide homes to low-income families, and financed the construction of Neighborhood Centers. According to articles in the local newspaper, the report and Barr’s subsequent actions were very vocal opposition. Mayor Barr was charged with dereliction of his duties due to his failure to address the heart of the issue; the unequal treatment and general disregard of the Black community. Perhaps the most well-known opponents were Byrd Brown, President of the Pittsburgh Branch of the NAACP, and William Rodd of the Neighborhood Centers Association in Manchester. Pittsburgh Civil Rights attorney and noted activist, Eric Springer was serving as the Chair of the Mayor's Commission on Human Relations. Although, Springer was interviewed concerning the Task Forces' findings, his comments in the press were not disapproving nor passing judgement.