Harold Washington

Congressman Harold Washington represented Illinois’s 1st Congressional District from 1981 until his resignation to serve as Mayor of Chicago in April 1983 (96th-97th Congresses). Washington was actively engaged in Chicago politics as a lawyer and World War II veteran. Before coming to Congress, he served in the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives from 1965 until 1976. Washington spent much of his tenure in Congress fighting President Reagan’s proposed budget and tax plans, including spending cuts for social programs. After one term in Congress, Washington ran and was elected as Chicago’s first African American mayor, an office he held until his death in 1987. Washington earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Roosevelt University and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law.