Editing W Wilson Goode (section)

== Early Life and Career ==

William Wilson Goode was born in 1938 in Seaboard, North Carolina, into rural poverty. His family migrated to Philadelphia when he was young, part of the [[Great Migration to Philadelphia|Great Migration]] that transformed the city's demographics. Goode attended Philadelphia public schools and worked his way through college, earning degrees from Morgan State University and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. His rise illustrated the possibilities that northern cities offered to African Americans from the South—opportunities that, however limited by discrimination, exceeded what the Jim Crow South provided.<ref name="weigley">{{cite book |last=Weigley |first=Russell F. |title=Philadelphia: A 300-Year History |year=1982 |publisher=W.W. Norton |location=New York}}</ref>

Goode entered city government as an administrator rather than a politician. He served in various housing and community development positions, earning a reputation as a competent manager. Mayor Bill Green appointed him managing director in 1980, making Goode the city's chief operating officer responsible for day-to-day government operations. His success in that role—managing city services during a fiscal crisis—established him as a potential candidate for higher office. When Green decided not to seek reelection, Goode entered the 1983 mayoral race as a serious contender.<ref name="paolantonio"/>