Meet our Founder

Robert Leon “Bob” Woodson, Sr., passed away peacefully on May 19, 2026, at the age of 89. Bob was born on April 8, 1937, to Ralph and Annie Woodson, the youngest of five children. At nine, he lost his father, a World War I veteran of the famed “Harlem Hellfighters” 369th Infantry Regiment, to war-related injuries. While his mother worked tirelessly to take care of Bob and his siblings, he formed lifelong friendships with several young men in his segregated South Philadelphia neighborhood, whom he often credited with helping him make good choices.

Bob dropped out of high school at 17, joined the Air Force and, after showing remarkable aptitude for math, became one of just three Blacks to obtain flying status at Patrick Air Force Base and the only one with the specialized training for the equipment used in newly developed missile-tracking systems. Upon completing his military service, Bob attended Cheyney University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and going on to earn a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965.

Bob immediately joined the Civil Rights Movement, becoming the president of his local chapter of the NAACP, and organizing successful protests against rampant housing and workplace discrimination in Chester, Pennsylvania. However, he soon became disillusioned with what he called a “bait-and-switch” game, where the suffering of low-income Blacks was used to obtain resources and privileges for middle- and upper-income African Americans. For Bob, the last straw was forced busing for the integration of schools, which the overwhelming majority of Blacks opposed.

After leaving the Civil Rights Movement, Bob joined the American Enterprise Institute, doing field research for Peter Berger and Richard Neuhaus culminating in the publication of To Empower People: From State to Civil Society, which made the public policy case for mediating structures to address social problems. During this time, Bob also met and married the love of his life, Ellen, and together they raised three sons and a daughter.

In 1981, Bob began what would become his life’s work, establishing the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, now known as the Woodson Center, to empower community-based leaders to reduce crime and violence, restore families, revitalize underserved communities, and assist in the creation of economic enterprise. His subsequent 45 years of work at the Center resulted in remarkable victories over seemingly intractable social problems and paved the way for the proliferation—too often invisible to scholars and policymakers—of community-based solutions throughout the country.

Bob quickly became a featured social commentator in print and on-air media outlets, including The Hill, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. He advised several presidents and countless other elected officials. He was the recipient of the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship award, the Bradley Prize, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the 2018 William Wilberforce Award, The Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship, Hillsdale College’s Freedom Leadership Award, and many other awards and honors. His countless articles and bestselling books created a vocabulary and framework for self-liberation, grassroots leadership, and community uplift that challenged nearly every prevailing assumption about race and poverty in America.

Bob was preceded in death by his mother Annie Woodson Walker, his father Ralph L. Woodson, and his son Robert L. Woodson, Jr. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ellen; his children Ralph L. Woodson, Jamal J. Woodson, and Tanya M. Woodson Monestel; five grandchildren, three  great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

On June 30, 2026 we will honor Bob Woodson’s extraordinary leadership, legacy, and lasting impact at a memorial “Remembering the Life of Bob Woodson and Celebrating the Future of the Woodson Center”.