Early Life and Family
Eve was born in New York City, but was raised in Florida. After studies at West Virginia State College he arrived in Buffalo in February 1953 as a product of the segregated south, with less than $10 ($90 today) in his pocket. Eve served in the United States Army from 1953–1955 and achieved the rank of corporal. Eve holds an Associate's degree from Erie Community College and a Bachelor of Science from West Virginia. He had been an All-High basketball player in Florida and became an All-Europe player during his Army tour of duty in Germany, where he ran a program for orphans. After completing his Army service he returned to Buffalo in 1955. Eve's first job in Buffalo was in a Chevrolet plant. While working there he became aware of drugs problems with local youths in the city's parks, and observed a lack of guidance for youth in the community. He surrendered his job to pursue a post in parks recreation, but learned that such jobs were doled out by political patronage to party loyalists. Eve joined the Democratic Party and got one of the patronage parks jobs. By 1958, he was blossoming as an independent activist within the party, pursuing minority rights, and was the only ward leader who was not part of the political establishment. This role led to his 1966 New York State Assembly election victory.
Eve and Constance Bowles (born July 14, 1932), also an alumnus of West Virginia State College, were married in June 1956. They have one daughter and four sons: Leecia Roberta Eve, Arthur O. Eve, Jr.; Eric Vincent Eve, Martin King Eve, and Malcolm X. Eve. Leecia is a Democratic politician and attorney and a former candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York during the 2006 election as well as a contender to replace Hillary Clinton as United States Senator when Clinton became United States Secretary of State in 2009. Eric, who was a White House aide under Bill Clinton, ran Al Gore's New York State 2000 Democratic presidential primary campaign. Malcolm also worked for the Clinton administration.
Eve, who was an Episcopalian, has a history of being a religious man. He was a deacon in his church in the 1970s. After his retirement from politics, he became an evangelist.
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