In 1983, architect and politician Harvey Bernard Gantt (1943– ) became the first black elected mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, he became the first African American to attend the racially segregated Clemson University after the U.S. Court of Appeals ordered the university to admit him. He graduated with honors in 1965 and, in 1970, earned a master's degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During the early years of his architecture firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was appointed to the city council to fill a vacant seat. He served on the council until 1983, when he was elected mayor of the city. He continues to manage his successful architecture firm (projects include the Charlotte Transportation Center, Transamerica Square, and First Ward Recreation Center) and remains active in politics. Honors bestowed on Harvey Gantt include awards from the Charlotte branch of the NAACP and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Leadership Charlotte in 2006.