He ran a frugal ship and involved private organizations in helping those in need. "50 years ago: Cleveland's Carl Stokes elected first black mayor of a major U.S. city (vintage photos)", "A Turning Point: The Cleveland election watched around the world", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1967_Cleveland_mayoral_election&oldid=1063817276, November 1967 events in the United States, Articles with empty sections from May 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 January 2022, at 02:26. Buhrer grew up on a communal farm in Zoar as a member of the Society of Separatists. [6] A crucial part of his support came from local businessmen. He returned to Cleveland and died at the Cleveland Clinic. They were divorced in 1973. 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. In between his time as Cleveland mayor, Starkweather was the first common pleas judge elected under the state's new constitution. Mayor Stokes held a pollution tour for local press the following day. He had three children from his first marriage: Carl Jr., Cordi, and Cordell, and a daughter, Cynthia, and stepson, Sasha Kostadinov, from his second marriage. See the article in its original context from. . How the 1969 Cuyahoga River Fire Sparked the U.S. Environmental Movement During his teenage years in the 1940s, Carl often found himself in trouble. OH He was 68. His business interests included the Lorain Steel Co. A friend of noted economist and free trader Henry George, Johnson campaigned for "just taxation" as mayor (serving from 1901 to 1909) and initiated the Group Plan of the Public Buildings that still bracket the downtown mall. Carl B. Stokes was a Cleveland native, born on June 21st, 1927. And he was also trying to get me into tennis where he had sponsors looking at me. Cordell explains why his father, Carl B. Stokes, wanted to be mayor of Cleveland. When he became mayor of Cleveland for the first time in 1877, the economy was depressed as a result of the Panic of 1873. Daniel D. Morgan was the only other city manager of Cleveland. . Lorenzo A. Kelsey, a New York native, was in the lumber business in Youngstown, ran hotels in Cleveland and then became a steamship captain. Carl Stokes, 68, Dies; Precedent-Setting Mayor - New York Times He recalled, I had felt inadequate in my life before, but not inferior. Carl B. Stokes and the Rise of Black Political Power The default occurred during the mayoralty of Dennis Kucinich, not George V. Voinovich, who defeated Mr. Kucinich in 1979. Carl Stokes Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline What Happened When Violence Broke Out on Cleveland's East Side 50 Years Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). After inheriting a city in default, he renegotiated the municipal debt and reorganized City Hall. His decision to remove White officers from patrol was regarded as a success by the press and a controversy within the department. The Smithsonian has a profile of Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture as well as objects about him in its collection. Finding aid for the Stokes Oral History Collection, WRHS. A son, George, who dropped the "e" from his last name, would later become governor of Ohio. Leonard N. Moore makes an important contribution in this much-needed examination of the political career of Carl B. Stokes, the first black . A riot ensued, with Willey joining Cleveland militiamen in the armed skirmish. The Depression was taking hold, so he cut costs at City Hall and sought lower utility rates for consumers. [1] While studying law, he served as a probation officer. He also helped establish the Cleveland Board of Trade and organize the Cleveland Yacht Club. He cut taxes and reduced debt during his time in office. From 1963 to 1968 he served in the Ohio House of Representatives. Brenton D. Babcock was an entrepreneur and a prominent Mason. By winning the election, Stokes became the first African-American to be elected mayor of a large U.S. city. Entering the Cleveland mayoral race in 1965 as an independent, Stokes narrowly lost to incumbent Democratic mayor LOCHER, RALPH, but he defeated Locher in the Democratic primary and won in the general election over Republican candidate Seth Taft in 1967, becoming the first black mayor of a major American city. Cleveland, I felt baffled, without direction, and had no ambition beyond the work I was doing and the life I had developed on the streets.. During White's administration, the city lost the Cleveland Browns after owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore. 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. But between the three of usmy father, my uncle, and Iwe had a very, very special relationship. This article highlights some of the insights he graciously provided. Nicholas Dockstadter served as mayor from 1840 to 1841. He was very supportive and engaged. Five years later in 1967, he ran for mayor of Cleveland. After four years, the emerging Democratic leader looked to politics. He graduated from CLEVELAND-MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL in 1956 and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1957. Finding aid for the Carl Stokes Scrapbooks, WRHS. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb reflects on former Black mayors In 1967, Stokes made American history. All 50 mayors in Cleveland history -- and their claim to fame 44106, 10900 Euclid Ave. I was with basketball and football. John H. Farley was known as "Honest John" when he was first took office as mayor of Cleveland in 1883. 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. But he became embroiled in scandal stemming from a traveling salesman's divorce suit and he was ousted from his job in 1913 "on charges of neglect of duty and gross immorality.". Under Stokes and his successors (white and black), the city undertook a long revitalization process. Though he was a good student but left the high school in 1944 and worked for Thompson Products for a brief period. Frederick Kohler served as chief of police under Cleveland Mayor Tom Johnson and was considered a "strict disciplinarian," according to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. The images of the former mayors used in this slideshow include photographs of the their portraits that hang in City Hall or sketches that are in the public domain. He became a partner in the firm Chard & Babcock in 1869. STOKES, CARL B. He served from 1895 through 1898. Rensselaer R. Herrick came to Cleveland as a boy and went to work as a printer's apprentice. He returned to Cleveland and died at the Cleveland Clinic. You would stay a week in a cabin somewhere with other kids. Stokes was ahead of his time. He was a municipal judge in Cleveland from 1983 to 1994. 50 years ago: Cleveland's Carl Stokes elected first black mayor of a 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. Part of Stokes' legacy is a reminder to think about how we address issues to benefit us all. How Carl Stokes election shaped Cleveland political history - WKYC Last year, President Clinton appointed him Ambassador to the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean off the northern coast of Madagascar. The first mayor of Cleveland, John W. Willey served from 1836 to 1837. The family lived in local housing projects on the East Side of Cleveland, Ohio. During that time he was involved in the creation of the Cleveland Electric Railway Co. Nathan P. Payne, a Democrat, was in the coal business prior to running for mayor. From his standpoint, he was the one who established the EEO department, Equal Employment Opportunity. Prior to holding elected office, he was a thriving fur trader and served as treasurer of the Cleveland & Newburgh Railway. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It stayed with me. Cleveland, He later served as commandant of Camp Cleveland during the Civil War, and in 1864 was appointed mayor of Cleveland to take over for Irvine U. In the same year, he was elected as the first black Democrat to the Ohio House of Representatives and won office in Cuyahoga County. Carl B. Stokes, 68, the former Cleveland mayor who was the first African American elected to head a major city government, died of esophageal cancer April 3 at a Cleveland hospital. For generations, the Stokes lived in Georgia. He served through the end of 1945 and during that time organized the Post War Planning Council. During his two terms as mayor, Stokes opened city hall jobs to blacks and women, and introduced a number of urban revitalization programs (see MAYORAL ADMINISTRATION OF CARL B. STOKES). His home in New York City is a national historic landmark. "[1] He was known as a strong administrator and reformer, and is remembered for his vision and motivation. He passed away back home in Cleveland, the place he cared for the most. In 1957 he passed the bar and the following year was appointed assistant city prosecutor in Cleveland. Carl Stokes - Cleveland Civil Rights Trail Stokes feuded with City Council and the Police Department for much of his tenure. The Cuyahoga River was widened and straightened and new bridges built during his term. 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. After his first term as mayor, then-President Grover Cleveland appointed Farley as director of internal revenue. Elected on November 7, 1967, and taking office on January 1, 1968, he was the first black elected mayor of a major U.S. city. Birthday: June 21, 1927 ( Gemini) Born In: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A 5 1 Political Leaders #3501 Leaders #4566 Quick Facts Also Known As: Carl Burton Stokes Died At Age: 68 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Raija Kostadinov, Shirley Edwards father: Charles Stokes mother: Louise (Stone) Stokes Cordell shared his thoughts on Carls political legacy. Among his accomplishments was creating a channel between Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River that allowed for passage of larger ships. They had two sons, Carl, Jr. and Cordell, and a daughter, Cordi. He is among the few American politicians whose career spanned all three branches of government legislative, executive, and judicial. Mayor Carl Stokes | Sierra Club Cordell remembered his father as someone who perfected the balance of his career with a disciplined family life. 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). Noted Kansas City restaurant, civic figure Carl DiCapo dies Back in Cleveland, he opposed a switch to a form of government that had a city manager instead of a mayor. William B. Later, he attended the Cleveland-Marshall Law School from where he earned his JD degree in 1956. Able to mobilize both black and white voters, he defeated SETH TAFT, the grandson of a former U.S. president, with a 50.5 majority. Masters defeated incumbent Cleveland Mayor Edward S. Flint in 1863 but resigned the following year due to poor health. William G. Rose made a lot of money by refining oil and developing land. After his discharge in 1946, Stokes returned to Cleveland and earned his high school diploma in 1947. "The aftermath of that night was to haunt and color every aspect of my administration the next three years," he wrote. During this time Stokes became increasingly involved in civil rights activities and the Democratic Party. He also led an expansion of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. From 1994 to 1995 Stokes served as U.S. ambassador to Seychelles. He won this election in 1967 by defeating Seth Taft who was the grandson of President William H. Taft. At the same time, he was also an active member of the Democratic Party. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus while serving as Ambassador to the Seychelles and placed on medical leave. Growing up with him in the big city of New York, especially in the 1970s. His marriage to Shirley Edwards in 1958, which produced three children, ended in divorce in 1973. In 1962 Stokes was elected to the Ohio General Assembly, where he developed a reputation as a moderate. Two months before the end of World War II, Stokes joined the US Army and got the chance to travel. He served as general counsel for the United Auto Workers. [1] Stokes was a strong student, but in 1944, he dropped out of high school and took up work at Thompson Products (later TRW). The Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta is a national historical park. He later married Raija Kostadinov, a former model from Finland. During that time he improved the city's port and ended a policy of having prostitutes register with the police. . Hopkins is perhaps best known for developing Cleveland Municipal Airport, which was renamed Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in his honor in 1951. During his time in office, a landfill along the Cleveland waterfront was converted into what would become Burke Lakefront Airport. Dennis Kucinich, known as "the boy mayor," took office at age 31 but served only asingle two-year term beginning in 1978. Carl B. Stokes was the first African American elected mayor of a major US city, serving in Cleveland from 1968 to 1971. Cleveland embarked on construction of a new water and sewer system during Robert E. McKisson's time as Cleveland mayor. 4 pioneer is now mostly forgotten, but his rise and fall as two-term Cleveland mayor, from 1967 to 1971, is part of. Jackson was an assistant city prosecutor and served on City Council and as its president before becoming mayor. Hiring policies. Remembering Carl Stokes, a TV news and political pioneer In 1958, he tied the nuptial knot with Shirley Edwards whom he divorced in 1973. He went on to become a television anchor in New York City and later a municipal judge in Cleveland. New York-born Irvine U. Carl & Louis Stokes Making History - Western Reserve Historical Society I was the only man there who did not go to town. Nationally, the development was among the first to receive federal funding from the new Public Works Administrationduring the Great Depression. [2] After attending several colleges, he earned his bachelor's degree in 1954 from the University of Minnesota. Cleveland | History, Attractions, & Facts | Britannica Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. He was mayor when Cleveland Municipal Stadium was completed on the lakefront and later was instrumental in the creation of the Cleveland Browns. There were four very important Black individuals that I had to learn as soon as I could started reading and comprehending. Who influenced his views? At the time, Cleveland was one of the 10 largest cities in the United States and Stokes' election put the city in the national spotlight. Upon election, Carl B. Stokes became the first Black mayor elected in a major American city. Im a big health nut. Frank Lausche took over as Cleveland mayor in 1942. The Cleveland mayoral election of 1967 saw the election of Carl Stokes. OH After returning to Cleveland in 1980, he practised as a labour lawyer. The MAYORAL ADMINISTRATION OF CARL B. STOKES (1967-1971) was marked by progress, controversy, and the unrest prevalent in many urban areas of the U.S. Stokes, a graduate of CLEVELAND MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL, was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1957 and served as an asst. of course Martin Luther King, and . He was Cleveland's law director when he took over as Cleveland mayor for Harold Burton after he won election to the U.S. Senate. Stokes was the first elected African American mayor of a major American city (Cleveland was, at the time, the ninth largest city in the United States). In 1980, he returned to his hometown of Cleveland and worked as a general legal counsel for the United Auto Workers Union. He pushed for the creation of the Cleveland House of Correction & Workhouse. He became a partner in a banking firm and then a member of City Council before running unopposed for mayor. The City of Cleveland On June 22, 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in Cleveland, Ohio, just a few miles downstream of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Later, he joined the U. S. Army and served in occupied Germany during the World War II. . To help us better interpret Carls legacy, Cuyahoga Valley National Park recorded an oral history with his son Cordell Stokes in 2021. Many thought that the progress recently achieved by civil rights leaders would slowly be undone. - Editor, Kansas City Business Journal. You shouldve seen him! 11201 Euclid Ave. In November 2006, the Western Reserve Historical Society opened an exhibit entitled Carl and Louis Stokes: from Projects to Politics. Stokes was the first elected African American mayor of a major American city (Cleveland was, at the time, the ninth largest city in the United States). Civil Rights was the big movement. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Carl died when Cordell was about 25 years old, a college student on a basketball scholarship. But he saw a different opportunity as a state legislator. He also survived a recall election. His mother raised Carl and his brother Louis in a public housing project for the poor. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Stokes served two terms as Clevelands mayor, 1968-1972. [1] Subsequently, President Bill Clinton appointed him U.S. View finding aid for the Carl B. Stokes Papers, Series I, WRHS. According to Cordell, this is one of his fathers biggest legacies. He worked for the Erie Railroad Co. in Buffalo as a clerk and then as a bookkeeper for a coal dealership in Cleveland. Thomas A. Burke became Cleveland mayor in 1946 and served for eight years. He became mayor of Cleveland the following year in 1855. 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 lost his father when he was very young. During his two-year term as mayor of Cleveland, Hoadley was largely responsible for the creation of the city's first boys' high school and a "department for girls" the following year. In a career marked by the overcoming of racial barriers, Mr. Stokes also served in the Ohio Legislature, presided as a municipal judge in Cleveland and was the first black anchorman of a television news show in New York. After earning his high-school diploma, he studied law at the University of Minnesota (B.S., 1954) and Cleveland-Marshall Law School (LL.B., 1956). 30 years in the US House of Representatives, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Stokes, Ohio History Central - Biography of Carl B. Stokes, Carl Stokes - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Cordell is proud that Cleveland is still on the frontline of these issues, so that our children and childrens children can hopefully have an environment where they can breathe good air.. As Cleveland's police commissioner, he ended a practice of keeping the press out of hearings. . What Louis Stokes, other notable Clevelanders had to say about the 1969 He was elected the first black president of the National League of Cities in 1970. She suffered politically for her decisions to lay off police officers and firefighters and to support a construction of a Wal-Mart at Steelyard Commons. He then worked as a probation officer in Cleveland while attending the Cleveland-Marshall Law School, and in 1957 was admitted to the bar. 44106-7107. CLEVELAND: NOW! He was reelected to a second term in 1969. Of his efforts, the National Park Service wrote: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Senter's home on Euclid Avenue became the first home of the Union Club. As Mayor, he steered a relatively moderate course, calling for calm and unity during the social and racial turbulence of the late 1960's that engulfed Cleveland and many other big cities. Remembering Carl B. Stokes, a Black trailblazer in politics and media He had been treasurer of the village of Cleveland and then an alderman after the city became incorporated in 1836. The city elected Carl Stokes as mayor in 1967, making him the first African-American mayor of a major city in the United States. In 1944, Stokes dropped out of high school at the age of 17 and worked briefly for Cleveland-based aerospace and automotive company Thompson Products/TRW before enlisting in the US Army in 1945. From 1983 to 1994 he served as municipal judge in Cleveland. John O. Holly was a Black political activist who was popular in the Cleveland housing projects when Carl was a young man. After returning to Cleveland, he served as general counsel (198083) to the United Automobile Workers before being elected a municipal court judge in 1983. Cleveland: Now!, announced on May 1, 1968, was an initiative by him to rehabilitate the neighbourhood areas in Cleveland. Edward S. Flint served as mayor of Cleveland during the first half of the Civil War. And boy that ball hit him in the behind. The first permanent bridge across the Cuyahoga River was built during his term. He defeated Seth Taft, grandson of former U.S. President William Howard Taft. 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. On the night of his election victory in 1967, Mr. Stokes told a crowd of cheering supporters that he had never before then known "the full meaning of the words 'God Bless America.' Stokes ran for mayor again in 1967. Initially popular with business leaders, Now! He worked for the committees of judiciary, industry and labour and public welfare. In 1970, the National League of Cities voted him its first black president-elect. His Slovenian ancestry made him the first Cleveland mayor, but not the last, to descend from Eastern European roots. OH He returned to Cleveland in 1980 and established a private law practice. [1][2] His election came alongside the election of Richard G. Hatcher in the 1967 Gary, Indiana mayoral election. Now youre the chief executive of the city, eighth largest at that time. His victory two years later drew national attention. After Harry Davis resigned as Cleveland mayor to run for governor, then-law director William S. Fitzgerald completed Davis' unexpired term. Carl B. Stokes was the first African American Mayor of not only Cleveland but of a major American city. He served as mayor in 1847. He was elected mayor of Cleveland and became . 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 . He will always be known for the city going into default as a result of his refusal to sell the publicly owned Muny Light electric utility to the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. I was a good tennis player. He took office, with support of both Republicans and Democrats, in 1924 and served until the end of 1929. Mr. Stokes, who was the United States Ambassador to the Seychelles but had taken a medical leave of absence last year after being told he had cancer of the esophagus, died shortly after 5 A.M. at Cleveland Clinic, according to a spokeswoman for the hospital. While at WNBC New York, Stokes won a New York State Regional Emmy for excellence in craft, for a piece about the opening of the Paul Robeson play, starring James Earl Jones on Broadway. He often played in the 1000-acre Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, as well as in Central Park. He served as mayor of New Haven, Conn., before coming to Cleveland in 1830. Carl helped to blaze their trail. He started the Lake Erie Iron Co. and after the Civil War went to Prussia to learn more about its iron and steel operations. But the city was awarded a new franchise, which retained the Browns name and began play in 1999. He supported the Union cause and helped support soldiers' families. Fearful newspaper rhetoric often presented Stokes as someone who would incite chaos in the midst of growing demands for Civil Rights. It was his mother who stressed about the value of education during his early childhood. Cordell was only four when his parents divorced, and his father was given custody of the children. In 1956, he graduated from the Cleveland State University College of Law and in 1957, was admitted to the Ohio State Bar Association. was a joint public and private funding program for the revitalization of Cleveland which was announced by Mayor Carl B. Stokes 1 May 1968. He advocated for clean water and environmental justice, bringing international attention to the infamous 1969 Cuyahoga River fire. After two two-year terms as mayor, Mr. Stokes, who had dashing good looks and a touch of charisma, moved to New York and took a job with the television station WNBC in 1972, where he became the city's first black anchorman. (Fellow Ohioan Robert C. Henry was the first black mayor of any U.S. city (Springfield, elected 1966).) 11201 Euclid Ave. 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.