Bill and Marie Redd

Marie Redd was educated in the Cabell County public school system, having attended Barnett Elementary School, Oley Junior High School and Huntington High School. She was elected to the student council and was the first Black homecoming queen at Huntington High.

Marie graduated from Marshall University with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in criminal justice. She was employed by the IBM Corporation for 18 years and was a full-time instructor of criminal justice in the College of Liberal Arts at Marshall. In 1998, Marie was the first Black individual elected to the West Virginia State Senate and the first female state senator elected from Cabell and Wayne counties. She served on the Senate Judiciary Committee during her elected tenure.

Marie is president of the Beta Tau Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a member of the Huntington chapter of Links, a member of the NAACP and volunteers for several organizations in Huntington.

In October 2022, Marie was inducted to the Greater Huntington Wall of Fame for her leadership and involvement in state and local organizations.

William Redd graduated from Gary High School, where he was the first Black student body president, a member of the National Honor Society and percussionist in the school band. While attending Marshall University, he was active in several organizations, including the Student Judicial Council, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and was a founder of the Marshall University Black Alumni Association.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Marshall and received his law degree from North Carolina Central University in 1976. He passed the West Virginia State Bar and became a partner in the Henderson & Redd law firm in Huntington. In 1983, William launched his solo law practice and, in 1987, moved into the newly-constructed Redd Law Office, where he practiced for more than 35 years.

William was a professor of legal studies at Marshall’s Community and Technical College. He was a dedicated member of First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, percussionist, pianist and organist. He sponsored the William L. Redd Little League Baseball Team and, along with his wife, endowed the Marshall University Foundation’s William and Senator Marie E. Redd Scholarship.