Oscar DuConge, a resilient politician, overcame the odds to become Waco, Texas’s first African American mayor. Born on April 19, 1909, to unnamed parents in Pass Christian, Mississippi, DuConge was the fourth of nine children. His early years were marked by hard work, as he swept floors and cleaned utensils in the barbershop where his father worked. Despite the challenges of segregated schools, DuConge persevered and continued his education.
DuConge attended Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1931. In 1942, he was drafted into the United States Army during World War II and was assigned to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he worked in the finance department. After his regiment was transferred to Italy, DuConge volunteered for combat duty. He came under fire in the Italian Campaign before leaving service in September 1945, the same month World War II ended.
After the war, DuConge returned to school, attending Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned his master’s degree in social work in 1946. He also completed postgraduate work at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the University of Pittsburgh, and Xavier University. In 1948, DuConge was hired by the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Waco, Texas. Later, he left this job to co-own and operate the Doris Miller Memorial Park, serving as its secretary-treasurer from 1955 to 1972. In 1966, he was named director of Neighborhood Centers for the Economic Opportunities Advancement Corporation (EOAC) in Waco, Texas.
In 1970, DuConge ran for a seat on the school board in Waco but was unsuccessful. Two years later, he ran for city council against high school administrator M.D. Ritcherson, winning the election. In 1974, DuConge made history by becoming Waco’s first African American mayor as a result of the vote of fellow Waco City Council Members. DuConge later said the vote of his colleagues was indicative of the societal changes sweeping the country in that late civil rights era. “Despite all the problems in the United States and Waco, it took five white men to elect a black,” he said. “I’m not mayor of any faction or group. I’m mayor of Waco. This means I will do what I can for as many people as I can.” His election was a significant milestone in the city’s history. DuConge continued to serve in politics until his death on July 26, 1978, at the age of 69. DuConge was married to Mary “Kitty” Jacques DuConge in 1937. The couple adopted one son named Micheal.
