Terrance Carroll
Encyclopedia
Terrance Carroll is an American lawyer, minister, former Colorado
legislator and former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, the first African American
ever to hold that office in Colorado. Carroll was elected as a Democrat in 2002 and represented House District 7 which encompasses parts of Denver, Colorado
.
, the only child of a single mother who was a share-cropper's
daughter. He attended H. D. Woodson High School and then graduated from Morehouse College
in 1992 with a B.A.
. After graduating from Morehouse, Carroll moved to Colorado to pursue a PhD. in political science. He took a job as a campus police officer but switched his educational interest from political science to religion. He graduated from the Iliff School of Theology
in 1999 with a Master of Divinity degree and the Harvard University Divinity School, Center for the Study of Values in Public Life, Summer Leadership Institute in June 2000 and later became an ordained Baptist minister. Carroll continued his education, entering in and graduating from the Sturm College of Law
at the University of Denver
in 2005 with a Juris Doctorate.
While in law school he was appointed to an open seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2003.
Carroll currently practices in the area of litigation with the firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP in downtown Denver.
in January, 2009. The Colorado constitution limits members of the Colorado House to four consecutive two year terms, Carroll's term ended in 2011.
sponsored SB130, a bill that would allow Colorado schools the power to control their budgets and make their own decisions on hiring, curriculum, length of the school day and teacher compensation. He has sponsored bills to charter new schools and to standardize the calculation of high school graduation rates. Carroll has also worked on homeland security measures and civil and criminal justice issues.
He was also the original sponsor of the bill that established the Tuskegee Airmen
Memorial Highway on Colorado's Interstate 70 to honor the African American flyers that served during World War II
.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
legislator and former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
ever to hold that office in Colorado. Carroll was elected as a Democrat in 2002 and represented House District 7 which encompasses parts of Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
Biography
Carroll was born and grew up in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the only child of a single mother who was a share-cropper's
Sharecropping
Sharecropping is a system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land . This should not be confused with a crop fixed rent contract, in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a fixed amount of...
daughter. He attended H. D. Woodson High School and then graduated from Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
in 1992 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. After graduating from Morehouse, Carroll moved to Colorado to pursue a PhD. in political science. He took a job as a campus police officer but switched his educational interest from political science to religion. He graduated from the Iliff School of Theology
Iliff School of Theology
Iliff School of Theology is a graduate theological school adjoining the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado.An average of 300-350 students attend the school each year in the following degree programs:* Master of Divinity...
in 1999 with a Master of Divinity degree and the Harvard University Divinity School, Center for the Study of Values in Public Life, Summer Leadership Institute in June 2000 and later became an ordained Baptist minister. Carroll continued his education, entering in and graduating from the Sturm College of Law
Sturm College of Law
The University of Denver Sturm College of Law is one of two law schools in the state of Colorado, and the only law school in the Denver metro area. Founded in 1892, the Sturm College of Law is one of the first in America's Mountain West...
at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
in 2005 with a Juris Doctorate.
While in law school he was appointed to an open seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2003.
Carroll currently practices in the area of litigation with the firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP in downtown Denver.
Legislative career
Carroll represented district 7 in northeast Denver, and has served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Assistant Majority Leader. He decided to run for speaker in November, 2008, after the front runner for the job, Representative Bernie Buescher, was upset in his re-election bid. On Thursday, November 8, 2008, just two days after that election, democrats in the Colorado House of Representatives chose Carroll as Speaker. He was sworn in as the 34th Speaker of the House at the opening of the Colorado General AssemblyColorado General Assembly
The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado.-Constitutional definition:The Colorado Constitution establishes a system of government based on the separation of powers doctrine with power divided among three "departments": executive, legislative and judicial...
in January, 2009. The Colorado constitution limits members of the Colorado House to four consecutive two year terms, Carroll's term ended in 2011.
Legislation
Carroll was known for his support of education reform. In 2008 Carroll along with former Colorado Senate President Peter GroffPeter Groff
Peter C. Groff is a member of the Obama administration and a former Colorado legislator and President of the Colorado Senate. An attorney, public servant, and political veteran, Groff was elected as a Democrat to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2000, then re-elected in 2002...
sponsored SB130, a bill that would allow Colorado schools the power to control their budgets and make their own decisions on hiring, curriculum, length of the school day and teacher compensation. He has sponsored bills to charter new schools and to standardize the calculation of high school graduation rates. Carroll has also worked on homeland security measures and civil and criminal justice issues.
He was also the original sponsor of the bill that established the Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
Memorial Highway on Colorado's Interstate 70 to honor the African American flyers that served during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.