The Honorable Judge Cynthia Williams Fordham became the first African American woman to serve as a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Administrative Law Judge from 1993 until 2017, where she
served distinguishably. A diehard South Philadelphian and very proud of it, she was born to Paul Edwards Williams and Ola Beatrice Newsome Williams in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She passed away on May 17, 2023.
Cynthia Williams was educated in the Philadelphia public school system, having attended Childs Elementary School and Girls High School, one of the top public schools in the city of Philadelphia back then and still to this day. From a very early age, she displayed a high level of intelligence, and all who knew her, always expected she would succeed in life, and that she did. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University. She earned her Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School; she was a member of the Clifford Scott Green Chapter of the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association during her legal career. She became a member of several law-related organizations, including the American Bar Association, The Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Penn State African American Alumni Society.
Judge Fordham served as both chairperson of the board of directors and was eventually named chairwoman emeritus of the Greater Philadelphia Health Action in 2007. She has also served as the president of Diversified Community Services, a nonprofit organization based in South Philadelphia, in 2009. There were numerous community organizations that Cynthia Williams Fordham was a part of and where she rolled up her sleeves and worked. She didn’t just lend her name to a group, here and there to look good or appear to be prestigious. When Cynthia committed to serving, she showed up, and she showed out positively, always striving to make a difference. She served on the Lincoln Day Educational Center board of directors, and she also served on the Marian Anderson Historical Society board of directors.
So how did she become a Judge? She earned it. After all, she was already a practicing, licensed attorney in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During her time as an Administrative Law Judge for the PA PUC, she handled many critical cases from across the state.
According to her husband, Reverend Jerome Ford- ham, her spirit and enthusiasm have been permeated and positively influenced. He says, “It seems that everyone who got to know her,…
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