Herbert Fielding

Herbert Fielding
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
In office 1971–1973
In office 1983–1984
Member of the South Carolina State Senate
In office 1985–1992
Personal details
Born	Herbert Ulysses Gaillard Fielding (1923-07-06)July 6, 1923 Charleston, South Carolina
Died	August 10, 2015(2015-08-10) (aged 92) Charleston, South Carolina
Spouse	Thelma Erenne Stent
Children	Julius P. L. II, Herbert Stent, and Frederick Augustus
Alma mater	West Virginia State College
Occupation	Funeral director

Herbert Ulysses Gaillard Fielding (July 6, 1923 – August 10, 2015) was an American politician who became the first African-American elected as a Democrat to the South Carolina General Assembly since the Reconstruction era.

Family and early years

Herbert Ulysses Fielding was the son of Julius and Sadie Fielding. Fielding served in the United States Army during World War II prior to attending and receiving his B.S. degree from West Virginia State College in 1948.

In 1952, Fielding took charge of the day-to-day operations of the family funeral home business, becoming President and CEO of Fielding Home for Funeral Services. Founded in 1912 by Fielding’s father, Fielding Home for Funeral Services was the largest African American-owned and operated funeral home in the state of South Carolina. Fielding died on August 10, 2015.

Civil Rights movement

Fielding became involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. He often paid for the bail of civil rights activists, picketers and demonstrators. Fielding encouraged African Americans to vote and mobilized them to memorize the constitution in order to gain voting rights. Fielding's political papers from that era are housed at the College of Charleston.

South Carolina General Assembly

Fielding was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1970, becoming the first African American to be elected a representative in South Carolina since Reconstruction. In that same election, Democrat John C. West defeated the Republican nominee, Albert W. Watson for governor. Fielding served for three years, then returned to the South Carolina State House in 1983. In 1985, Fielding was elected to South Carolina’s State Senate, where he served until 1992. In 1990, he became the chairperson of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus.