Cecil Armillo Partee (April 10, 1921 – August 17, 1994) was an American attorney and politician. He was the first African American to serve as president of the Illinois Senate and the first to serve as Cook County State's Attorney. He served in both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate. He also served three terms as City Treasurer of Chicago.
Cecil A. Partee | |
|---|---|
 official portrait, circa 1976 | |
| Cook County State's Attorney | |
| In office April 24, 1989 – December 1, 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Richard M. Daley |
| Succeeded by | Jack O'Malley |
| Chicago City Treasurer | |
| In office April 1979 – April 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph G. Bertand |
| Succeeded by | Miriam Santos |
| President of the Illinois Senate | |
| In office January 8, 1975 – February 16, 1977 | |
| Governor | James R. Thompson |
| Preceded by | William Harris |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Hynes |
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 26th district | |
| In office January 4, 1967 – February 16, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | David Davis IV |
| Succeeded by | Harold Washington |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office 1957–1967 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cecil Armillo Partee April 10, 1921 Blytheville, Arkansas |
| Died | August 17, 1994 (aged 73) Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Paris |
| Children | Two |
| Residence(s) | Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Tennessee State University (B.A.) Northwestern University (J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Early life and education
editBorn in Blytheville, Arkansas, Partee received his bachelor's degree from Tennessee State University and his J.D. degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1946.[1]
Political career
editIllinois State House
editHe practiced law and was an assistant state's attorney. In 1956, he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as a Democrat. As a member of the House, he served on a special House committee on reapportionment, as chairman of an interim legislative committee that set up the Illinois Fair Employment Practices Commission, and as chairman of the House Elections Committee.[1]
While in the House, Partee sponsored fair housing legislation.[2] He was also a leader in pursuing fair employment practices legislation.[1]
Illinois State Senate
editIn 1966, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate. In 1975, he was elected as President of the Illinois Senate, becoming the first black person to serve in that role and the first to head a state legislature anywhere in the United States since the end of Reconstruction.[1]
He ran for Illinois Attorney General in 1976 and won the Democratic Party nomination, but lost the general election to Republican William Scott.[1]
20th Ward Committeeman
editDuring the 1970s, Partee served as Democratic Party committeeman for Chicago's 20th ward. He was credited in his Chicago Tribune obituary for playing an important role in helping Harold Washington win a close election for State Representative while in this position.[1]
City Treasurer of Chicago
editIn 1979, he successfully ran for City Treasurer of Chicago.[1] He won re-election twice and served in the office until 1989.[3]
Cook County State's Attorney
editPartee was appointed State Attorney for Cook County on April 24, 1989, when Richard M. Daley was elected Mayor of Chicago. He was the first black person to serve in this office, and the last until Kim Foxx won election in 2016.[1] He lost a special election for the office to Republican nominee Jack O'Malley on November 6, 1990.
Death
editPartee died of lung cancer in Chicago on August 17, 1994.[4][5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Heise, Kenan (August 17, 1994). "CECIL PARTEE, PIONEER IN POLITICS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
- ^ Grant, Keneshia Nicole (2020). The great migration and the Democratic party: Black voters and the realignment of American politics in the 20th century. Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-4399-1747-3. OCLC 1122682592.
- ^ Dukmasova, Maya (March 28, 2019). "More money no problems". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
- ^ "Cecil Partee. Memoir" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-27.
- ^ Heise, Kenan (17 August 1994). "Cecil Partee, Pioneer In Politics". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 August 2011.