Calvin Smith (Illinois politician)

Last updated
Calvin L. Smith
Member of the IllinoisHouseofRepresentatives
from the 24th district
In office
1965–1969
Personal details
Born1907
Springfield, Ohio
Died1968
Chicago
NationalityAmerican
Political party Democratic
Residence Chicago
Alma mater University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
OccupationPharmacist
ProfessionPolitician

Calvin L. Smith (1907-1968) was a pharmacist, coroner, and member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1965 until his death in 1968. [1] A Democrat, he represented the 24th District in the 74th and 75th sessions of the Illinois General Assembly. [2]

Born in Springfield, Ohio, Smith moved to Chicago at a young age with his family. [3] He became a pharmacist, receiving his pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and then owning and operating a pharmacy with his father for the next 15 years. [3] From 1951 to 1952, he was president of the Chicago Pharmacists Association. [1] He served as chief pharmacist of the Cook County Jail, [4] and was appointed deputy coroner of Cook County in 1961. [3]

An active participant in civil society, Smith was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the Prince Hall Masons, and Chicago's Pilgrim Baptist Church. [5] He served in the 4th ward Democratic Organization, as captain of the 15th precinct and as executive secretary of the ward organization. [3]

Smith was first elected to the Illinois House in 1964. [1] The 1964 election was unprecedented in that the House's previous failure to approve a redistricting plan caused all representatives to be elected statewide. As a result, all 118 House candidates on the statewide Democratic slate were elected. In the 1966 election, Smith contended with fellow first-time representative James A. McLendon to represent the 24th District, with neither able to consolidate support within the Democratic Party organization. [6]

During his two terms of office, his contributions included his support of legislation to compensate teachers based on workload, and to establish apprenticeship programs for African American students. [1] In 1966, he was one of the four founding members of the study committee that gave rise to the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. [7]

On June 29, 1968, [5] during his second term, Smith died at Chicago's Michael Reese Hospital of a heart attack. [4]

Works cited

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Washington</span> Chicago, Illinois politician (1922–1987)

Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who was the 51st Mayor of Chicago. Washington became the first African American to be elected as the city's mayor in April 1983. He served as mayor from April 29, 1983, until his death on November 25, 1987. Born in Chicago and raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood, Washington became involved in local 3rd Ward politics under Chicago Alderman and future Congressman Ralph Metcalfe after graduating from Roosevelt University and Northwestern University School of Law. Washington was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1983, representing Illinois's first district. Washington had previously served in the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives from 1965 until 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Davis (Illinois politician)</span> American politician (born 1941)

Daniel K. Davis is an American politician who is the U.S. representative from Illinois's 7th congressional district, elected in 1996. The district serves much of western Chicago, including the Loop. It also includes several of Chicago's inner western suburbs, such as Bellwood, Oak Park, and River Forest. Davis is a Democrat, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William L. Dawson (politician)</span> American politician (1886–1970)

William Levi Dawson was an American politician and lawyer who represented a Chicago, Illinois district for more than 27 years in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1943 to his death in office in 1970. In 1949, he became the first African American to chair a congressional committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar Stanton De Priest</span> American politician and civil rights advocate (1871–1951)

Oscar Stanton De Priest was an American politician and civil rights advocate from Chicago. A member of the Illinois Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois's 1st congressional district from 1929 to 1935. He was the first African American to be elected to Congress in the 20th century. During his three terms, he was the only African American serving in Congress. He was also the first African-American U.S. Representative from outside the southern states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Party of Illinois</span> Political party in the United States

The Democratic Party of Illinois is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the oldest extant state party in Illinois and one of just two recognized parties in the state, along with the Republican Party. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling the majority of Illinois' U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, both houses of the state legislature, and the governorship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cook County Democratic Party</span> Political party in Illinois, US

The Cook County Democratic Party is an American county-level political party organization which represents voters in 50 wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County. The organization has dominated Chicago politics since the 1930s. It relies on an organizational structure of a ward or township committeeperson to elect candidates. At the height of its influence under Richard J. Daley in the 1960s when political patronage in employment was endemic in American cities, it was one of the most powerful political machines in American history. By the beginning of the 21st century the party had largely ceased to function as a machine due to the legal dismantling of the patronage system under the Shakman decrees issued by the federal court in Chicago. The current Chair is Toni Preckwinkle, who is also the elected Cook County Board president.

Frank Watson is an American former politician. He was a Republican member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 51st district from 1983 to 2009, and served as Senate Republican Leader before he resigned that position in late 2008 for health reasons. He was Assistant Majority Leader from 1993 to 2002, and previously served as a State Representative from 1979 to 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois's 1st congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Illinois

Illinois's first congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.

The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Illinois Legislature.

Thomas G. Lyons was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party active in Chicago.

Calvin Sutker was an American politician and lawyer. Over his nearly four decades in politics, Sutker served as a Skokie Village Board member, Niles Township Democratic Committeeman, Democratic National Committeeman from Illinois, Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and a Cook County Commissioner.

Arthur A. Telscer was an American pharmacist and politician.

Daniel Marshall Pierce was an American lawyer and politician from Illinois. He served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, as Mayor of Highland Park, Illinois, and as a trustee on the North Shore Water Reclamation District.

Aarón Manuel Ortíz is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 1st district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Chicago aldermanic election</span> American election

The 2019 Chicago aldermanic election took place in two rounds on February 26 and April 2, 2019, to elect 50 aldermen to the Chicago City Council. Each alderman represents one of Chicago's 50 wards. The elections are non-partisan and use a two-round system where the top two finishers compete in a second-round run-off if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round. The elections were party of the 2019 Chicago elections, which included elections for Mayor, City Clerk, City Treasurer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Illinois elections</span>

Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 7, 1978.

Richard A. Harewood was a lawyer, state legislator, and judge in Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert H. Holloway</span> Illinois state legislator

Robert H. Holloway was a lawyer and state legislator in Illinois. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1972 and served one term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elwood Graham</span> American politician (1902–1978)

Elwood Graham (1902–1978) was a state legislator in Illinois. He served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1957 to 1965 and again from 1967 to 1973. He was a Republican.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Williams 2008, p. 27.
  2. ↑ "AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATORS IN ILLINOIS, 1876-2005" (PDF). LRU First Reading. Vol. 19, no. 3. February 2006. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Calvin Smith" (PDF). Pioneers in the Struggle. The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  4. 1 2 "Died". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 1968-07-18. p. 53.
  5. 1 2 Illinois General Assembly House of Representatives (1968). "House Resolution 410". Journal of the House of Representatives. pp. 6708–6709.
  6. ↑ Gilbreth, Edward S. (1965-12-04). "Scramble for House Seats". Chicago Daily News. p. 13.
  7. ↑ Williams 2008, p. 87.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.