Camden People - Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland Jr.

DR. MARCUS F. WHEATLAND JR. was born in Newport RI in 1899. His father was a very well known and well-respected physician there. A graduate of Lincoln University in 1922 and the Howard University College of Medicine in 1927, Dr. Wheatland Jr. came to Camden after interning at Freedman’s Hospital in Washington DC. A protégé of Dr. Clement T. Branch, he soon became involved in Camden’s civic affairs, and was a party to the introduction of federally funded public housing to Camden. He also served as an alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey in 1940. A general practitioner, he was also a member of the Camden County Medical Society. In the mid 1930s, Dr. Wheatland made his home and office at 757 Kaighn Avenue.

In October of 1937, Mayor George E. Brunner appointed Dr. Wheatland to the Municipal Low Cost Housing Committee, which sponsored legislation providing for the creation of housing authorities in New Jersey, once the Federal act had been enacted. After many conferences with other agencies and representatives of the United States Housing Authority, bills were introduced in the New Jersey Assembly.

The Housing Authority of the City of Camden was established by an ordinance adopted by the Board of City Commissioners on April 20, 1938. To its non-salaried membership were appointed the members of the Municipal Low Cost Housing Committee, which had been in existence since October of 1937. They were Charles F. Hollopeter, William H. White, John Green, Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland, and Horace R. Dixon, who were appointed for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years, respectively. Dr. Wheatland resigned from the Board of Commissioners in June of 1939.

Dr. Wheatland Jr. last made his home at 727 Walnut Street, which had been the home of Dr. Clement T. Branch before his passing in 1933. Dr. Wheatland died in 1947. Wheatland Court, which runs northwest from Everett Street west of South Eight Street, is named in his memory.

Camden Courier-Post - February 7, 1938

142 ATTEND MEETING OF NEGRO Y.M.C.A.
Delegates Hear Pleas for Christian Co-operation to End Conflict

Joint application of the teachings of Christ by the white and Negro races to meet full responsibilities in a changing social and economic order was urged here yesterday at the eighth annual laymen's conference of Colored Y.M.C.A.'s in New Jersey.

Citing the lack of practice of the teachings of Christ as conducive to conflict, Dr. G. Lake Imes, director of public relations of Lincoln University, Lincoln, Pennsylvania, declared that "the social application of Jesus is needed in these times, and not battleships and guns to set the world in order."

Delegates to the conference, held in the Camden Y.M.C.A., Federal Street near Broadway, numbered 142 from Newark, Orange, Montclair, Plainfield, Summit, Princeton, Trenton, Camden, and various counties of the State. The Camden delegation of 31 was the largest in attendance.

Employment problems and their affect upon Negro youth were out lined by W.A. Smith. Jr., director of colored activities for the New Jersey National Youth Administration,

The successful movement for a Negro housing project in Atlantic City, which now affords modern living standards for 374 families, was related by C. V. Cain, manager of the $1,540,000 project.

The afternoon session was devoted· to planning for observance of the 50th anniversary of the Negro Y.M.C.A. History of the association was related by Dr. C. H. Tobias, senior secretary of the national council, and plans for expansion through a $125,000 fund now being raised, were explained by Dr. Leslie Pinkney Hill, principal of the Cheyney Teachers' College. The expansion will benefit New Jersey associations.

A committee of laymen and association secretaries for New Jersey's share in the 50th anniversary was appointed.

Other speakers were G. W. Barnes, temporary secretary of the State Y.M.C.A. headquarters; William P. Partenheimer, general secretary of the Camden Y.M.C.A.; W. R. Valentine, of the Slate Colored Work Committee, A. E. Flournoy, executive secretary of the Hunton Branch Y.M.C.A., Camden, and Irwin Roundtree, chairman of the local entertainment committee.

The Misses Alma and Jessys Jones served as secretaries of the conference. The WPA Orchestra provided dinner music, led by James Wheeler. Partenheimer praised the Hunton branch for the work it accomplished "with so little equipment."

The local welcoming committee comprised Roundtree; H. W. Brown, Elmer Congo, Dr. M. F. Wheatland, J. S. Brooks, Foster Meekins, W. S. Ashley, Charles Whittington, Alfonso Davis, John Robbins, George L. Eggleston and Louis Pugsley.

The 1939 conference will be held in Summit, the first Sunday in February.

Camden Courier-Post - February 8, 1938

$8,000,000 FUND SOUGHT FOR HOUSING
Hartmann Declares City Needs 2 Added Low-Cost Rental Projects

A Federal grant of $8,000,000 for slum clearance and two municipal low-cost housing units will be sought by the city of Camden when the State Legislature approves pending bills providing enabling legislation.

This was made known yesterday by Commissioner Frank J. Hartmann, director of public works, who also announced he will present an ordinance at Thursday's meeting of the City Commission setting up a Camden Municipal Housing Authority.

The ordinance, Hartmann explained, will conform with requirements in one of the Assembly bills. Members of the authority, who will be known as Housing Commissioners, will be named by the City Commission.

Present members of the Camden Municipal Low-cost Housing Committee are Charles F. Hollopeter, chairman; Dr. M. F. Wheatland, William H. White, Horace R. Dixon, secretary, and John Green, president of the United Marine and Shipbuilders' Union of America.

"Camden needs two more low-cost housing units to provide modern, sanitary and adequate housing for its working people," Hartmann said. "Unless present plans are changed the proposed housing authority will seek a grant of $8,000,000 from the U. S. Housing Authority".

"As soon as the legislature passes the enabling legislation the city through this committee will be in a position to go to Washington, present our plans, and make formal request for Federal money.

Hartmann said that neither he nor the members of the housing committee will divulge any contemplated locations of the two proposed projects.

"This committee has studied housing needs from all angles. Neither politics, race or creed will enter into negotiations in connection with the projects."

Camden Courier-Post - June 23, 1939


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