Benjamin H. Lucas
Benjamin H. Lucas | |
|---|---|
 Circa 1918 | |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
| In office 1917–1919 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 4, 1879 Brooklyn, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Jessie Hudson
(m. 1903; died 1951) |
Benjamin H. Lucas (July 4, 1879 – ?) was an American minister and state legislator in Illinois. He represented District 1 in Cook County[1] and served from 1917 from 1919.[2]
Biography
[edit]Lucas was born July 4, 1879 in Brooklyn, Illinois[2] and was left without a father from ten years old.[3] He was educated in public schools. He started work as a child selling newspapers and shining shoes, as an adult he worked as a boot-black, janitor, porter, shipping clerk, postal clerk, state weigher, clerk in the Foreign Corporation Department, fire marshal, deputy state fire marshal and in insurance.[3] He took up teaching which he did not like, causing him to move to Chicago in July 1900 to study law.[3]
Lucas was a member of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and taught Sunday School for fifteen years.[3] He was involved with a number of organisations including the United Brothers of Friendship, the YMCA, NAACP, Urban League, Emanuel Lodge No. 31, the United Brothers of Friendship, Knights Templar and Ancient Order of Foresters.[3]
In 1902 he was the elected secretary of the 2nd Ward Republican Club.[3] He believed in equality for all men regardless of race.[3] He married Jessie Hudson on December 23, 1903 in Chicago.[4] She died November 8, 1951.[5]
Lucas was elected into the 50th Illinois General Assembly in 1916, serving in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1917 to 1919.[3] He stood for re-election in 1918 for the 51st assembly[3] and in 1920.[6] He ran for the Illinois State Senate in 1954 contending as a Republican for the 5th district against the incumbent Democrat Marshall Korshak, but lost.[7][8]
Lucas was listed in the United States census as living in Illinois in the 1910, 1920, 1940 and 1950 but in the 1930 census his home was listed as Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[9]
He was drafted to the military for both World War I in 1918[10] and World War II.[11] From the 1930 census onwards he was listed as either a pastor or ministor.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ State, Illinois Office of Secretary of (November 5, 1919). "Blue Book of the State of Illinois". Secretary of State – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Williams, Erma Brooks (2008). Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005. ISBN 9780761840183.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hon. Benjamin H. Lucas". The Broad Ax. 7 September 1918. p. 7. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "Cook County, Illinois, U.S., Marriages Index, 1871-1920" Ancestry.com
- ^ "Obituary for Mrs Jessie Lucas". Chicago Tribune. 10 November 1951. p. 31. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "L.V.L. Recommendations for the Legislature". Chicago Tribune. 15 September 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "See Remap as Boon to 5th District". Chicago Tribune. 17 October 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "List of Winners for State Senate". The Daily Illini. 3 November 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "United States Federal Census (1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950)". Ancestry.com
- ^ "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918" - Serial Number 3156 - Ancestry.com
- ^ The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War Ii Draft Cards (Fourth Registration), For the State of Illinois; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Series Number: M2097 (Serial Number 494)
- ^ "United States Federal Census (1930, 1940, 1950)". Ancestry.com
