Marvin S. Arrington Sr., a retired Fulton County judge and former Atlanta City Council president, died Wednesday at age 82.
Arrington’s family said in a statement that he died in the morning surrounded by loved ones at his home.
“Even in this time of mourning, we are grateful for his loving dedication as a committed father and grandfather, and for his example of a lifetime of service,” the family’s statement said. “We thank the community for their prayers and support.”
A native Atlantan, Arrington has been a fixture of the city’s politics since the late 1960s. He graduated from Emory University Law School in 1967 as one of the school’s first Black graduates.
Shortly after graduating, Arrington was elected to the Atlanta Board of Alderman in 1969. He later became an Atlanta councilman after the 1974 city charter amendment changed the board into the city council that governs Atlanta today. Arrington eventually became Atlanta’s city council president in 1980.
Arrington unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Atlanta against Bill Campbell during the 1997 election. In 2002, then-Gov. Roy Barnes appointed Arrington to Fulton County Superior Court Judge. He retired from the bench in 2012.
Arrington graduated from Henry McNeal Turner High School in 1959, and went on to Clark Atlanta University on a football scholarship. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1963 and went to the Howard University School of Law for a year. Arrington later transferred to Emory University School of Law. He also served as chairman of the Emory Advisory Committee of Black Alumni and sat on the school’s Board of Trustees.
In a statement, Arrington’s family said the details about his funeral arrangements will be announced as they are finalized.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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