Fredrick Gordon attended North Division High School in Milwaukee and graduated in
1967. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Welfare in 1977 from the
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and his law degree from the University of
Wisconsin – Madison, Law School in 1980. Prior to his aldermanic election he worked
as a State Public Defender in Milwaukee, Madison and Beloit, Wisconsin, as an
affirmative action administrator for the State of Wisconsin and a practicing
attorney for Legal Action of Wisconsin. He has been involved with the community and
social justice issues such as the 1960s open housing marches and the 1980s protests
over the death of Ernest Lacy while in police custody. He worked as one of the
attorneys for the Coalition for Justice for Ernest Lacy. Fredrick G. Gordon was
first elected to the 7th aldermanic district in 1992 and was re-elected
consecutively until 2004.
During his tenure Gordon was the chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee and
board member of the following organizations: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage
District, Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Center
District and the Milwaukee Public Library. He was very involved in saving two branch
libraries scheduled to close in the 2004 budget. When Alderman and Common Council
President Marvin Pratt became Acting Mayor (2004, Jan – April), after the
resignation of Mayor John Norquist, Pratt assigned many of his Council President
duties to Gordon for those months.
In the 2004 election, Gordon was defeated by Willie C. Wade. Redistricting had
altered/enlarged some of the 7th district’s boundaries and this set up aldermanic
incumbents Wade (formerly of the 10th district) and Gordon to run against each
other. Gordon ran again for the 6th aldermanic district seat in 2008 but lost in the
primary to Milele A. Coggs and Michael McGee Jr.; Coggs went on to win.
