Norman B. Houston, 81; Had Government Post in Nixon Administration
Norman B. Houston, 81, a former assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare and a former member of the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, died Jan. 13 at his home in Los Angeles.
A native of Los Angeles, Houston attended UC Berkeley before joining the Army during World War II. After the war, he continued his education, this time at UCLA, where he received his degree in banking and finance in 1948.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. March 3, 2005 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday March 03, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 35 words Type of Material: Correction
Houston obituary -- The obituary of Norman B. Houston in Wednesday’s California section said Victor Nickerson was one of the founders of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Co. In fact, it was William Nickerson Jr.
That same year, he went to work for the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Co., which was started in Los Angeles in 1925 by Houston’s father, Norman O. Houston, and his partners Victor Nickerson and George A. Beavers Jr. It was a leading insurer of African American families. Houston was a corporate official for the firm from 1948 to 1970.
Active in community affairs, Houston served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP and as treasurer of the Los Angeles Urban League. Houston was also a member of the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission.
During the Nixon administration, Houston served as an assistant secretary in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, from 1971 until 1973.