G. Coleman Woodbury had a long and distinguished career as a teacher, researcher, and activist in urban planning and housing. In 1931, he became executive secretary of the Illinois Housing Commission, working to lead legislation to enable the construction of housing for low-income persons. He also served as the associate director of the National Association of Housing Officials, working to bring about federal funding for low-income housing. Woodbury spent three years as the Charles D. Norton Professor of Regional Planning at Harvard University, and then spent the remainder of his teaching career, until his death, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was appointed by President Johnson to the National Committee on Urban Problems and was passionate about finding the appropriate role for government in dealing with housing and urban problems, and shared this passion with his students. Woodbury passed away in 1994.
