Abrams, Charles

Charles Abrams (1902–1970) was a scholar, lawyer, and administrator whose views helped shape government policies and popular conceptions concerning cities, urban growth, and public housing in mid-20th-century America.

Born in Tsarist-controlled Poland, Abrams and his family immigrated to the United States in 1904, eventually settling in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Abrams quickly developed an appreciation for the diverse communities that urban environments foster. He received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1922, and within a few years, he had amassed significant wealth from his work as a real estate lawyer and speculator. He married Ruth Davidson, an aspiring artist, in 1928.

New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, aware of Abrams's expertise in real estate, urged him to assist in drafting the New York Municipal Housing Authorities Law. Enacted in 1933, this legislation became a model for subsequent federal and state housing laws. Later, as the New York City Housing Authority's first general counsel (1934–1937), Abrams successfully established the legality of eminent domain proceedings for slum clearance and construction of public housing.

In addition to his support of public housing, Abrams was also an avid crusader for openhousing laws. In 1955, Governor Averell Harriman appointed Abrams to run the New York State Commission Against Discrimination (SCAD). As head of SCAD, Abrams drafted legislation to include FHA (Federal Housing Administration) and VA (Veterans Administration) financed housing under the New York State Law Against Discrimination. Soon after leaving SCAD in 1959, Abrams accepted the presidency of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing (1961–1965). Under Abrams's leadership, that organization led a successful fight for an Executive Order barring discrimination in federally subsidized housing.

Abrams was one of the founders of the discipline of urban studies, the systematic study of cities and their inhabitants. As a visiting professor at numerous institutions, including the New School for Social Research, the University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and Columbia University, he inspired students to embrace his analytical, but humane approach to examining the urban landscape. He also disseminated his ideas in seven books (the most often cited remains his classic 1955 survey of housing discrimination, Forbidden Neighbors), dozens of articles, and hundreds of newspaper stories. Written for general audiences, these publications avoided technical terms and jargon, making Abrams one of the era's bestknown public intellectuals.

Abrams's career extended beyond the United States. He undertook several overseas missions for the United Nations, helping to establish housing authorities and planning schools in developing countries. He summarized these trips in his influential 1964 book, Man's Struggle for Shelter in an Urbanizing World.

Throughout his life, Abrams criticized the misuse of urban space. It was therefore fitting—if also contrary to his Jewish heritage—that Abrams requested that his body be cremated, a request that his family honored.