IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former University of Iowa halfback Eddie Vincent passed away Friday in Inglewood, Calif. He was 78. Edward Vincent, Jr. was born June 23, 1934 in Steubenville, Ohio.
Vincent played halfback at Iowa and was a three-year letterman (1953-55). Vincent joined the Iowa program as one of the “Steubenville trio”, coming to Iowa City with former Hawkeyes Cal Jones and Frank Gilliam. Vincent earned first team all-Big Ten honors in 1955 and was second team all-Big Ten in 1954.
Vincent was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams following his Iowa career, but played just briefly in the NFL due to injuries. He served in the United States Army and earned his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles.
After earning his degree, Vincent spent 35 years as a probation officer for Los Angeles County. He was elected the first black mayor of Inglewood, Calif., in 1983 and held that position for 13 years. He later became a state legislator. He was elected to the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education and was a force in local and state politics for nearly 30 years.
In 1996, Vincent was elected to the state Assembly in the 51st District, serving that position until 2000. He was elected to the state Senate for the 25th District in 2000, receiving 82 percent of the vote. He served in the state Senate until 2008, due to term limits.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, children and grandchildren.
