John S. Watson (New Jersey politician) John S. Watson (New Jersey politician) John S. Watson (August 14, 1924 – June 15, 1996) was an African-American Democratic Party politician who served six terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 15th Legislative District. Born in Camden, New Jersey, Watson served with the United States Merchant Marine fleet during World War II. In 1970, Watson became the first African-American elected to the Board of Chosen Freeholders in Mercer County, New Jersey. In 1977, he became the President of the Board. For 12 years, Watson was a member of the New Jersey State Assembly, where he
James Lopez Watson death of cancer in Harlem. In 2003, the courthouse at 1 Federal Plaza in Manhattan was renamed the James L. Watson United States Court of International Trade Building in Watson's honor. James Lopez Watson James Lopez Watson (May 21, 1922 – September 1, 2001) was a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade. While serving as a judge around the country, Watson became the first African-American to head a federal court in the Deep South. Born on May 21, 1922, in Harlem, New York City, New York, the son of James S. Watson and his wife Violet, Watson