Ethel Skyles Alexander

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Ethel Skyles Alexander
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 16th district
In office
July 16, 1986 (1986-July-16) – January 13, 1993 (1993-Jan-13)
Preceded byCharles Chew
Succeeded byDonne Trotter
Personal details
Born
Ethel Skyles

(1925-01-16)January 16, 1925
Chicago
Died(2016-09-10)September 10, 2016
Chicago
Political partyDemocratic
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 32nd district
In office
January 13, 1983 (1983-01-13) – July 16, 1986 (1986-07-16)
Preceded byDonald Deuster
Succeeded byCharles Morrow
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 26th district
In office
January 10, 1979 (1979-01-10) – January 13, 1983 (1983-01-13)
Preceded byTaylor Pouncey
Succeeded byBarbara Flynn Currie
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic

Ethel Skyles Alexander (January 16, 1925 – September 10, 2016) was a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate. She served in four General Assemblies in the House and four General Assemblies in the Senate.[1] Carol Moseley Braun described Alexander as her mentor.[2]

Born in Chicago, Alexander graduated from Englewood High School. She received an associate of arts degree from Loop College (now Harold Washington College).[3] She also took an IBM Executive Training Course there. She worked in the Cook County, Illinois Circuit Court office for 33 years.[4][5] Her father, Charles Skyles, had served in the Illinois General Assembly.[3]

Political career[edit]

From 1979 to 1986, Alexander served in the Illinois House of Representatives as a Democrat. She represented the 26th House District in the 81st and 82nd General Assemblies (1979–1983); following the 1981 redistricting, she represented the 32nd House District in the 83rd and 84th General Assemblies (1983–1987).[6] In 1985 she became chair of the House Elections Committee.[7]

On July 16, 1986,[7] Alexander was appointed to the Illinois Senate to replace Charles Chew, who died while in office. She served in the Senate until 1993. In the 85th General Assembly (1987–1989), she became vice-chair of the Senate Elections and Redistricting Committee.[7] In the 86th and 87th General Assemblies (1989–1993), she chaired the committee.[7] Alexander was known for her work to strengthen laws against child pornography and to compel state agencies to boycott apartheid-era South Africa.[3]

She served as the Democratic ward committeewoman for Chicago's 20th ward for a period of time.[8] Alexander took over the position from longtime ward committeeman Cecil Partee after Partee was appointed Cook County State's Attorney in 1989.[9] In 1992, she was one of only two women serving as ward committeemen in Chicago.[2] She lost the position to Alderwoman Arenda Troutman in the 1992 Democratic primary.[10]

Alexander died in Chicago in 2016, aged 91. The Illinois House and Senate passed a joint resolution mourning her death.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATORS IN ILLINOIS, 1876-2005" (PDF). First Reading. Legislative Reference Unit. February 2006. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  2. ^ a b Morris, Jeannie (2021). Behind the Smile: A Story of Carol Moseley Braun's Historic Senate Campaign. Agate Publishing. p. 71. ISBN 9781572847590.
  3. ^ a b c Williams, Erma Brooks (2008). Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005. University Press of America. pp. 44–45. ISBN 9780761840183.
  4. ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1991-1992,' Biographical Sketch of Ethel Skyles Alexander, pg. 83.
  5. ^ a b "Full Text of HJR0162 99th General Assembly". 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  6. ^ "Illinois Legislative Roster — 1818-2021" (PDF). Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  7. ^ a b c d "Table 4: African American Legislators in Leadership Positions in Illinois, 1876-2005" (PDF). First Reading. February 2006. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  8. ^ Hardy, Thomas (April 25, 1990). "Daley Silent on Jones' Successor". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  9. ^ Kass, John (1990-06-04). "20TH WARD VACANCY SPURS POLITICAL BATTLE – Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  10. ^ Kass, John (March 20, 1992). "Mell Shows Who's Boss in Election". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 5, 2021.

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