Advisory Council Spotlight
Robert L. "Bob" Woodson Sr. is founder and president of the Woodson Center. Often referred to as the “godfather” of the neighbor empowerment movement, Woodson’s social activism dates back to the 1960s, when as a young civil rights activist, he developed and coordinated national and local community development programs. During the 1970s he directed the National Urban League’s Administration of Justice division. Later he served as a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. For more than five decades, he has promoted the principles of self-help and neighborhood empowerment, and the importance of the institutions of civil society. Woodson has received the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Prize, as well as the Presidential Citizens Medal. He received his bachelor’s degree from Cheyney University, a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, and an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Colorado Christian University. Woodson has authored four books and appeared on major network television talk shows including: Meet the Press, Nightline, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Woodson is a former member of CCU’s Board of Trustees.