Eugene Antonio Marino, the first African American archbishop in the United States, was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. Marino earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Joseph’s Seminary in 1962 and was ordained a priest that same year.
He earned his Master of Arts degree from Fordham University in 1967. Following his graduation, he was spiritual director at St. Joseph’s Seminary from 1968 to 1971 when he became vicar general of the Josephites.
From 1974 to 1988, Marino was the auxiliary bishop for Washington, D.C. and in 1985 he served as secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the first African American to hold that position. On May 5, 1988, Marino was installed as the Archbishop of Atlanta, the first African American archbishop in the United States.
Marino resigned his post in 1990 due to a sexual scandal, but retained the title of archbishop. He died November 12, 2000.
