Cleveland, During his second term, Farley called out the state militia to support police during a streetcar strike. In 1980, Mr. Stokes left New York and returned to Cleveland, where he worked as a labor lawyer, serving as general counsel for the United Auto Workers, a union that had been among his earliest supporters. Ambassador to the Republic of the Seychelles. He got involved in Republican politics and was elected county recorder before beating incumbent Tom Johnson for Cleveland mayor, serving from 1910 through 1911. A former city councilman, Flavel W. Bingham served only one year (1849) as Cleveland's mayor. . The Cleveland mayoral election of 1967 saw the election of Carl Stokes. Nationally, the development was among the first to receive federal funding from the new Public Works Administrationduring the Great Depression. Another lasting legacy was how the newly-elected Mayor Stokes used his international platform to advocate for what is now called environmental justice. Cleveland State University / Michael Schwartz Library. He won and served for two years. The Cuyahoga River was widened and straightened and new bridges built during his term. When he became mayor of Cleveland for the first time in 1877, the economy was depressed as a result of the Panic of 1873. This influential American politician used to deliver newspapers and work in local stores to support his family while he was very young. In 1980, he returned to his hometown of Cleveland and worked as a general legal counsel for the United Auto Workers Union. Cordell described fond childhood memories of nature, especially when his family lived in New York. The biographical data on the mayors comes primarily from the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, including those passages that are in quotes. In 1970, the National League of Cities voted him its first black president-elect. Fearful newspaper rhetoric often presented Stokes as someone who would incite chaos in the midst of growing demands for Civil Rights. Above, Miller, left, greets Amelia Earhart in a visit to the city in June 1932, along with George P. Putnam and his son, David Binney Putnam. As a widowed mother, Louise raised Carl and Louis on her modest income from doing menial work. Members of the Brigade celebrate his birthday every year at Lakeview Cemetery with gravesite services. Boy, I think we shut the whole game down. Cleveland Press Collection, CSU Archives/Photo by Bill Nehez. When Stokes was informed of the assassination, he acted quickly to keep the peace in Cleveland. Part of Stokes' legacy is a reminder to think about how we address issues to benefit us all. Carl B. Stokes, whose election as the first black mayor of a major city in 1967 became a symbol of a changing America, died early yesterday in Cleveland. During his tenure, he was instrumental in expanding the Port of Cleveland, Burke Lakefront Airport and the Rapid train system. The ability to make sure our people had an opportunity to compete and be a part of the American dream. Cordell can see his fathers legacy in the many Black politicians who now hold public office. Did the family enjoy time outdoors? The street where they grew up and prominent buildings in Cleveland are named for them. (21 June 1927-3 April 1996) became the first AFRICAN-AMERICAN mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected mayor of Cleveland in November 1967. . In 1965, he narrowly missed upsetting the incumbent, Ralph S. Locher, in the Cleveland mayoral race. He sought re-election but was defeated. [5] Humbleness is number one. John O. Holly was a Black political activist who was popular in the Cleveland housing projects when Carl was a young man. His home in New York City is a national historic landmark. He was a municipal judge in Cleveland from 1983 to 1994. From 1983 to 1994 he served as municipal judge in Cleveland. Case was the first mayor of Cleveland to have been born in the city. Next, he studied psychology at the Cleveland College of Western Reserve University. After leaving office, he was appointed secretary of war by then-President Woodrow Wilson. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. After his two terms, Lausche was elected twice as Ohio governor and also to the U.S. Senate. Later, he joined the U. S. Army and served in occupied Germany during the World War II. His father, Charles . This article highlights some of the insights he graciously provided. We had a cousin who lived up there and he had a cabin. The problems of poverty and discrimination in American cities, he had said, "threatens to strangle and destroy our entire urban civilization.". Cordell Stokes recalls a funny incident on a family tennis trip to Jamaica. After Morgan's two-year term, Cleveland returned to its mayoral form of government. By the 1980s, the environmental justice movement helped broaden environmentalism. Carl Stokes in August 1967. Credit: AP Stokes' rise and fall as a Ch. In 1958, he tied the nuptial knot with Shirley Edwards whom he divorced in 1973. New York-born Irvine U. He was first elected in 1915, even though an opponent received more first-place votes. In between his time as Cleveland mayor, Starkweather was the first common pleas judge elected under the state's new constitution. He was a city councilman before becoming mayor in 1867 and serving through 1870. He served as Cleveland's mayor from 1885 through 1986 and in 1889 and 1990. During this time, he was diagnosed with cancer. Carl B. Stokes, lawyer, anchorman, U.S. diplomat and the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city, was born on June 21, 1927 to Charles and Louise Stokes in Cleveland, Ohio. He lost his father when he was very young. In 1957 he passed the bar and the following year was appointed assistant city prosecutor in Cleveland. During his teenage years in the 1940s, Carl often found himself in trouble. He served through the end of 1945 and during that time organized the Post War Planning Council. Born to laundry worker Charles Stokes, who died in Carl's infancy, and domestic laborer Louise Stone Stokes, Stokes grew up in poverty in Cleveland's predominantly African . . It focuses on how poor environmental conditions affect low-income and minority communities more than others. First up, John W. Willey. He was 68. Stokes, Carl B. That I would have to develop my own talents, identify where I wanted to go, and then pursue it accordingly. [1] While studying law, he served as a probation officer. The US Federal Courthouse Tower in downtown Cleveland, completed in 2002, was named the Carl B. Stokes Federal Court House Building. The city elected Carl Stokes as mayor in 1967, making him the first African-American mayor of a major city in the United States. The goal was to raise $1.5 billion over 10 years for youth employment, community centers, health clinics, housing, and economic recovery. The relationship between the mayor and the police department deteriorated after the shoot-out. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Newton D. Baker, the Baker in prominent Cleveland law firm Baker & Hostetler, served as Cleveland mayor from 1912 through 1915. View finding aid for the Carl B. Stokes Papers, Series I, WRHS. After serving as mayor, he became president of Citizen's Savings & Loan Association and director of the Riverside Cemetery Association, both organizations he helped found. His father was very much a leader, someone who was willing to put himself on the front line to help advance many of the causes important within the Civil Rights arena. "[1] He was known as a strong administrator and reformer, and is remembered for his vision and motivation. We take a look at all the mayors in this slideshow. He was a customs collector and lighthouse superintendent during the administrations of presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. The great-grandson of a slave, Mr. Stokes became Mayor of Cleveland by defeating Seth C. Taft, the grandson of a President, at a time when whites accounted for two-thirds of the city's population. Campbell and then City Council President Frank Jackson had a falling out during her term, prompting his decision to run against her for mayor in 2005. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. Frank Lausche took over as Cleveland mayor in 1942. As Cleveland's police commissioner, he ended a practice of keeping the press out of hearings. From 1983 to 1994 he worked as a municipal court judge. His victory two years later drew national attention, as he was the first black mayor of one of the ten biggest cities in the United States. It was the first airport to be located in a downtown in the country. Cleveland Public Library Photograph Collection. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This was a time when he wanted to showcase me to one of his friends who had money and had invited him down there. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. And he was also trying to get me into tennis where he had sponsors looking at me. At West Virginia State College, Carl had been middle-weight boxing champion. Elected the first black Democrat to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1962, he served 3 terms and narrowly lost a bid for mayor of Cleveland in 1965. The National Archives has historic documents and teacher resources about actor and activist Paul Robeson. Blythin was only mayor for a year, but during that time the United States entered World War II. Thomas A. Burke became Cleveland mayor in 1946 and served for eight years. Otis Co. Five years later in 1967, he ran for mayor of Cleveland. Tom L. Johnson, a former Louisville Street Railway Co. employee, invented the see-through glass farebox. He served as president of the village of Cleveland's board of trustees prior to the city's incorporation. They have an 8-year-old daughter. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Do you Want MLK and His Disciples Running Your City? The growth of Clevelands Black voting bloc to 39% bolstered his prospects. Cordell was only four when his parents divorced, and his father was given custody of the children. Perhaps Stokes' greatest legacy was his work to save and preserve Cleveland's Cuyahoga River. Charles A. Otis Sr. made a name for himself in the steel business. He was reelected in 1969. After Cleveland City Council removed its portion of a floating Detroit Street Bridge, residents of the west side of the river were enraged, calling for "two bridges or none." The funeral was carried on WERE radio. That didn't sour him completely with the voting public, as he was elected a county commissioner in 1918 and then mayor of Cleveland, serving in 1921 and 1922. . . He tried to reorganize the police department and expand public housing. He was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus while serving as Ambassador to the Seychelles and placed on medical leave. He breathed his last in Cleveland. While working as the Ambassador to the Seychelles, he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. His autobiography, Promises of Power, was published in 1973. ", "I went into every white home that would let me in there and every hall that would have me," he said. As part of his job, he took steps to increase the income tax of this city. Herman M. Chapin was elected mayor even though he didn't know he was in the running. His marriage to Shirley Edwards in 1958, which produced three children, ended in divorce in 1973. Professor Canady instilled in him a passion for social activism and served as a mentor. And boy that ball hit him in the behind. Stokes, Carl Burton. Samuel Starkweather had two stints as Cleveland mayor. In November 2006, the Western Reserve Historical Society opened an exhibit entitled Carl and Louis Stokes: from Projects to Politics. He started the Lake Erie Iron Co. and after the Civil War went to Prussia to learn more about its iron and steel operations. He served as mayor in 1847. The courts settled the issue by mandating more than one bridge. He advocated for clean water and environmental justice, bringing international attention to the infamous 1969 Cuyahoga River fire. He was reelected in 1969 but retired from politics in 1971. On the plus side, some significant development projects, such as the East Bank of the Flats, moved forward under Campbell and she also promoted lakefront planning. He often played in the 1000-acre Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, as well as in Central Park. After being called racial slurs in a restaurant, he chose to stay on base. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Number two, you were never better than anyone just because were running around here and people recognize Stokes this and Stokes that. Under Stokes and his successors (white and black), the city undertook a long revitalization process. He also learned carpentry and later became president of Dover Bay Grape & Wine Co. From 1963 to 1968 he served in the Ohio House of Representatives. Born as Carl Burton Stokes in a black family of Cleveland, Carl was the second son of Charles, a laundryman and Louise Stokes, a cleaning woman. His political career as a Democrat began in 1962 when he was elected to the Ohio general assembly, where he remained for 5 years. The first permanent bridge across the Cuyahoga River was built during his term. Cordell would fly to Washington D.C. or Cleveland to participate in his uncles political activities. All rights reserved (About Us). Carl was also a fantastic pool player to the point where he was playing against some of the world-renowned, historic pool players. As a newsman, he played softball on the NBC team in Central Park. He served two years as mayor starting in 1838 and was subsequently defeated twice before getting elected again as mayor in 1842. He embraced the common man philosophy of the Jacksonian Democrats and that made him popular politically. Once Louis Stokes became a Congressman, the brothers helped push for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (1970) and the passage of the Clean Water Act (1972). More significantly, he would go on to serve as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He returned to Cleveland in 1980 and established a private law practice. To make the plan successful, he convinced the local businessmen of Cleveland to cooperate in a fundraising programme that aimed to preserve the inner peace of the city. From 1994to 1995, Stokes served as US ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles under President Bill Clinton. President Bill Clinton appointed Stokes ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. He won support from a diverse pool of voters, including both Black and White business owners. There Charles Stokes was a sharecropper and part-time preacher, while Louise was a cook on a plantation. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Leonard N. Moore makes an important contribution in this much-needed examination of the political career of Carl B. Stokes, the first black . . Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. A Connecticut native and graduate of Harvard, John W. Allen came to Cleveland to study law in 1825. He worked for three years as an agent for Ohio's State Department of Liquor Control, and then returned to school at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a bachelor's of science degree in law in 1954. Previously, he was an artillery captain during the Civil War and a president of the City Council. Cordell Edward Stokes was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1969, the youngest child of Carl and his first wife, Shirley. In 1957, he joined the Ohio bar where he served as assistant city prosecutor. But I wasnt mentally ready. Stokes then moved to New York City to become a television news anchor and later won an Emmy Award for his broadcast work. Holly led boycotts against White-owned businesses and battled unions who refused to hire Black employees. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Jackson was an assistant city prosecutor and served on City Council and as its president before becoming mayor. But the city was awarded a new franchise, which retained the Browns name and began play in 1999. A year later, Stokes married Shirley Edwards. His father was co-owner of the city's first lumberyard. In 1967, Stokes made American history. He also survived a recall election. - Editor, Kansas City Business Journal. Carl and Louis both ensured that Cordell knew he would need to develop his own talents. So thats the big thing here. Some you might know well, others you might be hearing about for the first time. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. When Cleveland went into default in 1978, Mayor George Voinovich maintained the city's financial slide had started with poor managerial moves by Mr. Stokes, who rejected the notion. They lived in the Outhwaite Homes Estates, Clevelands first public housing projects. He credits his brother Carl Stokes - the first black mayor of a major American city . For 4 years he served as assistant prosecutor and became partner in the law firm of Stokes, Stokes, Character, and Terry, continuing that practice into his political career. He had to get me off the court because I was laughing. His decision to remove White officers from patrol was regarded as a success by the press and a controversy within the department. Rensselaer R. Herrick came to Cleveland as a boy and went to work as a printer's apprentice. He served as mayor from 1893 through 1894. A large crowd sits at tables to hear Carl B. Stokes and Seth Taft debate at the City Club of Cleveland during the 1967 mayoral campaign. During this time Stokes became increasingly involved in civil rights activities and the Democratic Party. He lost his father when he was very young. Castle was born in Vermont and lived in Toronto, Ontario, before coming to Cleveland. Cleveland, I was a good tennis player. Thats what we did. After leaving office as mayor, Voinovich was elected governor of Ohio and later to the U.S. Senate. Carl helped to blaze their trail. Frank Jackson is finishing his third term as mayor and is running for an unprecedented fourth, four-year term. In 1954, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in law from the University of Minnesota Law School. It connected Cleveland with a section of Ohio City called Willeyville and benefited business interests of Willey and partner JamesS. Clark. After leaving the post of assistant city prosecutor in 1962, he set up Stokes, Stokes - a law firm together with his brother Louis Stokes. Upon election, Carl B. Stokes became the first Black mayor elected in a major American city. Stokes left the Ohio Congress and had a failed run for Cleveland mayor in 1965. King's words clearly didn't fall on deaf ears because, in November of 1967, Carl Stokes was elected mayor of Cleveland, the first black person ever to lead a major metropolitan city. "I didn't sit back. Next was a law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall Law School in 1957. He was very supportive and engaged. George W. Gardner was a grain dealer whose business interests included a partnership with John D. Rockefeller. Lausche was a Democrat, but had in independent streak. Corrections? . Promises of Power (1973). I'm very oriented into wild game. February 26, 2021 Carl Stokes is famously known for being the first Black Mayor of Cleveland, elected in 1967, and famously forgotten as a catalyst in the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Clean Water Act. He worked as a bookkeeper and went to Cleveland Law School at night. After returning to Cleveland in 1980, he practised as a labour lawyer. Cordell describes two key life lessons that Carl and Louis Stokes impressed upon him. Carl Stokes biography timelines // 21st Jun 1927 Born as Carl Burton Stokes in a black family of Cleveland, Carl was the second son of Charles, a laundryman and Louise Stokes, a cleaning woman. With my father, we used to go up into upstate New York. His mother raised Carl and his brother Louis in a public housing project for the poor. [1] Stokes was a strong student, but in 1944, he dropped out of high school and took up work at Thompson Products (later TRW). Throughout the remainder of his time as mayor, Stokes aimed to reform the Cleveland Police Department. After his first term as mayor, then-President Grover Cleveland appointed Farley as director of internal revenue. There he successfully pioneered bills mandating that police officerstake inventory in the event of a search warrant and the right for criminals to see an attorney within 72 hours of arrest. [4], A charismatic political figure, Stokes had the ability to mobilize both black and white voters. (laughter) You can already imagine when youre looking up and that ball came up and hit him in his behind! He became mayor of Cleveland the following year in 1855. Edward Blythin was born in Wales and was in his early 20s before moving to Cleveland. A son, George, who dropped the "e" from his last name, would later become governor of Ohio. Cordell remembered his father as someone who perfected the balance of his career with a disciplined family life. Narrowly defeated in his 1965 bid for Clevelands mayorship, he won the post in 1967 and took office later that year. He then attended several colleges before earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954. The first mayor of Cleveland, John W. Willey served from 1836 to 1837. Nelson Hayward was born in Massachusetts and came to Cleveland as a teenager in 1825. Afterwards, he put his public speaking talents to use at New York Citys WNBC, becoming the citys first Black anchorman.