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Fifth District Vice President
Melvin W. Horton Retires

March 2005 IBEW Journal  

A long and distinguished career of service comes to a close with the March 1, 2005, retirement of Fifth District Vice President Mel Horton. He will be missed as a lively, inspiring orator and a pioneer in the use of innovative member training. "It has been a very exciting, rewarding career," said Brother Horton, who had held that position since 1994.
Fifth District Vice President
Melvin W. Horton

After serving four years in the U. S. Air Force, Horton was initiated into Local 2188, Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1966. He served his local in numerous positions including steward, industrial engineering committee chairman, executive board member and vice president.

In 1972, Horton was appointed to the International staff as an organizer in Washington, D.C., where he directed or assisted on numerous organizing campaigns, resulting in more than 15,000 new members being organized into the IBEW. Horton returned to the Fifth District five years later. His responsibilities included contract negotiations, presenting grievances in arbitration and teaching various local union training programs. In 1992, Brother Horton returned to the I.O. as Director of Manufacturing Organizing. He helped implement the Membership Education and Mobilization for Organizing (MEMO) program and developed and taught organizer training courses.

Brother Horton was appointed Fifth District Vice President by then-IBEW President John J. Barry and was unanimously elected at the IBEW 35^th International Convention in 1996 and again at the 36^th in 2001, where New Orleans Local 130 Business Manager Robert Hammond said in his nominating speech: "What Mels about is making things happenpositive, progressive, proactive things. Mels about organizing the unorganized and union building. Mels about shared visions and designing strategies to accomplish our missions."

Throughout his IBEW career, Horton has emphasized the importance of training and course development for IBEW officers and members. Under Brother Hortons leadership, the Fifth District has pioneered the development of numerous training courses on subjects as varied as public speaking to advanced brief writing for labor arbitration. Another legacy of Hortons is the new local chartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the result of years of tenacious effort.

Horton attended Louisiana State University and the George Meany Center for Labor Studies and the School for Workers at the University of Wisconsin. He is a long-time member of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a national organization of black trade unionists working toward racial equality and economic justice.

Horton said he will stay in Birmingham Alabama, where he plans to continue working as a training consultant, developing and teaching labor education and training programs. He also plans to become a motivational speaker.

The IBEW members, staff and International Officers thank Brother Horton for his service and wish him and his wife, Leslie, a long and fulfilling retirement.