John Graham Lancaster

First African American County Commissioner for St. Mary’s County

(January 31, 1918 – July 1, 2006)

John Graham Lancaster was born in Farmville in Prince Edward County, Virginia in 1918. During his childhood, Lancaster grew to be very religious and actively involved in his church. Eventually, he became the choir director.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Hampton University; a Master’s in Adult Education from George Washington University; plus an Advanced Graduate Specialist Degree from the University of Maryland in 1940. Like his father, he would serve as the county extension agent in Prince Edward County. This occupation consisted of assisting the black community to become successful landowners to help lift them out of poverty in the early to mid-1900s. But in Lancaster’s case, he was dismissed in 1955 in the aftermath of the historic Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education.

As a result, Lancaster and his family moved to St. Mary’s County, Maryland in 1957. He found work as a 4-H agent and he also worked as a program specialist at the University of Maryland until 1978. During this period of his life, John Lancaster held many civic positions in the community. He was the Housing Authority Chair, the chair on the Youth Commission, and was involved with the NAACP.  He also joined the county’s board of education and was made president of the National Association of 4-H Agents.

Later in his life, John Lancaster entered politics and he unsuccessfully ran for county commissioner in 1982.  He did get elected in 1986, becoming the first African American county commissioner in the history of St. Mary’s County. He was reelected in 1990. John was recognized in 2001 by the community with the establishment of John G. Lancaster Park.

Throughout the highs and lows of his career in public life and serving the community, John Lancaster still retained his strong religious convictions. He was a deacon at First Missionary Baptist Church. He died in 2008 at the age of 90.

Additional Resources

John Graham Lancaster – The BayNet

A Decade of Negro Extension Work 1914-1924 | Project Gutenberg

John G. Lancaster, 90 – Farmville | Farmville (farmvilleherald.com)