Theodore Thomas (alderman)

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Theodore Thomas was alderman of the 15th ward in Chicago from 1999 to 2007.

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council member elected by voters.

Chicago City in Illinois, United States

Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the most populous city in Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States. As of the 2017 census-estimate, it has a population of 2,716,450, which makes it the most populous city in the Midwestern United States. Chicago is the county seat of Cook County, the second most populous county in the United States, and the principal city of the Chicago metropolitan area, which is often referred to as "Chicagoland." The Chicago metropolitan area, at nearly 10 million people, is the third-largest in the United States, the fourth largest in North America, and the third largest metropolitan area in the world by land area.

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Early life

Thomas was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in San Francisco, California. In 1969, Thomas moved to Chicago, and in 1984, he worked as an electronic equipment-repair technician for the U.S. Postal Service.

Public service

After graduating from high school, Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, in which he served 21 years. When Thomas moved to Chicago he joined ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now), which works for social justice and stronger communities. As a member of ACORN, he met all the aldermen and learned how the city worked.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was a collection of community-based organizations in the United States that advocated for low- and moderate-income families by working on neighborhood safety, voter registration, health care, affordable housing, and other social issues. At its peak ACORN had over 500,000 members and more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in over 100 cities across the U.S., as well as in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, and Peru. ACORN was founded in 1970 by Wade Rathke and Gary Delgado. ACORN currently still exists internationally and in several cities across Canada. The rest of this article refers specifically to ACORN-USA, unless otherwise noted.

Aldermanic career

Thomas was first elected in 1999. He decided to run when former Alderman Virigl Jones was convicted of corruption charges. There were 11 candidates in the race, but Thomas eventually won in a runoff. As a result of his progressive positions on local issues Thomas received the endorsement of public labor unions, who also assisted his campaign by supplying poll workers on Election Day. After being elected, Alderman Thomas focused his efforts on revitalizing the neighborhoods in his ward by repairing streets, cleaning up vacant lots, and working with the 7th and 8th Chicago Police Districts to reduce street crime and improve relations with the community's residents. Despite a challenging economic climate, Alderman Thomas continued to establish and cultivate small business in the ward.

In 2003, Thomas defeated Bob Love, a former member of the Chicago Bulls. [1] In 2007, Thomas retired from the Chicago City Council due to health reasons, and Toni Foulkes, a community activist, ran for the aldermanic seat and was elected thereafter. [2] Thomas counted a new public library and the Churchview Supportive Living Center as two major accomplishments as alderman. Thomas served on six committees: Budget and Government Operations; Committee, Rules and Ethics; Economic, Capital and Technology Development; Health; License and Consumer Protection; and Special Events and Cultural Affairs.

Bob Love American basketball player

Robert Earl "Butterbean" Love is an American retired professional basketball player who spent the prime of his career with the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. A versatile forward who could shoot with either his left or right hand, Love now works as the Bulls' Director of Community Affairs.

Chicago Bulls American professional basketball team

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 16, 1966. The team plays its home games at the United Center, an arena shared with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Toni Foulkes is the current alderman of Chicago's 16th ward, and was formerly the alderman for the 15th ward. She is African American. In 2014, as 15th ward alderman, she supported a bill to require employers to provide paid for sick leave for all Chicago workers.

Personal life

Alderman Thomas is married to his wife, Hattie. They have five grown foster children and grandkids. In 2001, Thomas suffered a heart attack and stroke, and had to undergo bypass surgery; he made a full recovery.

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References

  1. ↑ "Chicago Aldermanic Races". Chicago Tribune. April 2, 2003.
  2. ↑ "'Big-box' issue at the center of Southwest Side election". Chicago Tribune. April 9, 2007.


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