Biography

04/16/1923 - 06/28/1995

Paul McKinney (D8) Delaware (Part) and Philadelphia (Part) Counties 1974-1982 

Early Life: 

Paul McKinney, born April 16, 1923, Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia; son of Dollar and Jannie McKinney; United States Merchant Marines, World War II, 1942-1947; moved, Darby, Pennsylvania; Palmer Business College; married, Bessie Grayson, 1949, children, Marcella Emery, Gloria Chase, Robert (Bobby) McKinney, Paula McKinney, Dianne McKinney-Whetstone, Gwen McKinney, Elaine McKinney, Vernell McKinney-Abrams; engaged, restaurateur, catering business, television sales and repair shop; Democratic Party Committeeman, 1954, Ward Chairman, West Philadelphia's 60th Ward; Democrat State Committee, 1972; Constable, 1956-1959; Chief Examiner (Philadelphia Division) Bureau of Traffic Safety, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 1971-1974; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 8th district, 1974-1982; died, June 28, 1995, heart disease, University of Pennsylvania Hospital, West Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; Interment, Mount Lawn Cemetery, (also known as Lincoln Memorial Park) Sharon Hill, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Burial Information not confirmed.  

Early Career:

Engaged, restaurateur, catering business, television sales and repair shop; Constable, 1956-1959; One of Philadelphia's first African American United States Postal Service independent contractors, 1966-1971; Chief Examiner (Philadelphia Division) Bureau of Traffic Safety, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 1971-1974. 

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Tuscan-Morning Star Lodge #48 Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania; Octavius V. Catto Elks Lodge; West Philadelphia Civic League; Cobbs Creek Civic Association; Delancur Civic Association; West Philadelphia Branch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); 52nd Street Businessman’s Association; Hiram Chapter Number 2, Royal Arch Masons; West Philadelphia Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), founder, treasurer, Blacks Networking for Progress.  

Pennsylvania Politics:

Democratic Party Committeeman, Ward Chairman of West Philadelphia's 60th Ward; Democrat State Committee, 1972.  

Chief Examiner (Philadelphia Division) Bureau of Traffic Safety, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 1971-1974  

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 8th district, Delaware (Part) Philadelphia (Part) Counties 1974-1982; lost reelection, Hardy Williams; committee assignments, Consumer Professional Licensure, Public Health and Welfare, State Government (Minority Chairman), Urban Affairs. 

Legacy: 

Elected, Pennsylvania's third African American state senator.

Daughter, Diane McKinney-Whetstone, award-winning author, faculty member, University of Pennsylvania's creative writing program. 

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members M". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Ackley, G. (Ed.). (1981-1982). The Pennsylvania manual, Volume 105. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Biographical Sketches of Senators pages 73 and 89. 

Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Thursday, June 29, 1995, Page 22. 

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Friday, June 30, 1995, Page 53.