Louis Stokes

Congressman Louis Stokes was as the first African American to represent Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1969 to 1999 (91st-105th Congresses). Before his election to Congress, Stokes practiced law and participated in three cases in the United States Supreme Court, including a 1967 case requiring Ohio to adopt a redistricting plan that would reflect the presence of African American voters in the state. The plan created a new district in Ohio, the 21st District, and Stokes won the new seat in the House in 1969. While in office, Stokes served on the Education and Labor, Internal Security, Appropriations, Budget, Standards of Official Conduct (chair, 97th-98th, 102nd Congresses), Select Intelligence, Select Assassinations (chair, 95th Congress), and Select to Investigate Arms Transactions to Iran committees. Stokes also served as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 92nd and 93rd Congresses. He was an advocate for health and helped found and chair the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust while in office. When Stokes left Congress in 1999, he became the first African American in U.S. Congress to complete 30 years in office. Stokes served in the Army from 1943 to 1946 and received a J.D. from Cleveland Marshall Law School of the Cleveland State University.