He was the first black person to be elected to the New York State Assembly, be appointed an assistant district attorney or be named a criminal court judge in the Bronx.

[10] In 1957, he was appointed by Mayor Robert Wagner to a judgeship in the New York Criminal Court serving in both the Bronx and Manhattan and presiding over the Adele Morales case.

The Democratic Party nominated Gladwin under pressure from Ewart Gunier's Harlem Affairs Committee to respond to these events.

[5] IN 1948 he was elected to be vice-chairman of the Bronx Committee of the National Conference of Christians and Jews,[14] and was on the board of directors for the Forest Neighborhood Houses.

The Parks Department noted that, "His legislative priorities included combating narcotics use among youth, improving housing for low-and middle-income constituents, strengthening civil rights guarantees and enforcement, and advocating for a state-sponsored summer camp program".