Hugh A. Frost was born in Canton, Mississippi in 1926, and moved to Youngstown at a young age. After serving two years in the Army Air Corps in World War II, he attended Bluffton College, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in social sciences. He had tryout offers from several professional football teams, but turned these offers down in favor of community service. His extensive record of involvement as well as awards earned through his service and his higher education pursuits are outlined in a pamphlet for his third mayoral campaign. Frost became the first African American to serve on the Youngstown Board of Education upon appointment in 1962, and would later serve as Vice President of the Board. In 1967, Frost made history becoming the first black Republican candidate for the Mayor of a city in the United States.
Frost also holds a place in the history of Youngstown State University, having been appointed as Assistant to the President and counselor by President Pugsley in 1969. This position, in addition to his political activities, makes Frost well-represented in Digital Maag’s Jambar Newspaper Archive. Some selected articles available online include:
- “Candidates contend for mayoral position” The Jambar, 1983-10-14.
- Hall, Jeff. “Minorities scarce despite trustee’s hopes” The Jambar, 1982-10-5.
- Moore, Clarence. “Frost prepares for third run for mayor” The Jambar, 1983-07-28.
- “Prexy appoints Frost counselour, assistant” The Jambar, 1969-05-16.
- “Pugsley assistant receives Equal Opportunity position” The Jambar, 1972-07-06.
Click here for Hugh A. Frost items in the Delta Heritage Collection.
