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William E. King
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 1st district
In office
1934–1939
Preceded byWilliam Wallace
Succeeded byWilliam Wallace
Personal details
BornMay 12, 1885
Oak Ridge, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedOctober 1, 1967(1967-10-01) (aged 81)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBlanche Hastings
EducationHoward University
Alma materPhilander Smith College,
John Marshall School of Law
OccupationLawyer, politician
[1][2][3][4][5]

William E. King (May 12, 1885 – October 1, 1967) was an American lawyer and politician in Illinois.[1][6][7] He served as a state legislator in the Illinois House of Representatives for eight years, followed by a full term as a state senator. He represented Illinois's 1st House of Representatives district.[8]

Early life and education

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He was born in 1885 in Oak Ridge, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana.[1][3] His parents were Selina and John King.[5] As a child, King attended the Coleman Academy (also Coleman College) in Gibsland, Louisiana.[5]

King earned his undergraduate degree at Philander-Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas.[5] He studied law at Howard University followed by John Marshall School of Law, where he graduated in 1915.[5][2][9] His mentor was Oscar Stanton De Priest.[2]

Career and life

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Williams was admitted to the bar in 1916.[3] In June 1919, married Blanche Hastings.[3][5] The following year, 1920, the couple had a daughter, Blanche[5] As a lawyer, he worked from 1919 until 1923 for the City of Chicago as assistant counsel to their corporation department.[1][5] He spent two years as the assistant Illinois Attorney General from 1923 until 1925.[1][5]

A member of the Republican Party,[10] he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1925.[2] He would serve in the House for eight years representing the 1st district.[1] During his tenure in the House, King led successful efforts to make the Ku Klux Klan illegal in Illinois.[2][5] He also served on a committee that studied the impact of the Chicago race riot of 1919.[5]

He defeated William A. Wallace for Illinois State Senate in 1934.[10] In the 1938 general election, King lost in a rematch to Wallace with 19,775 votes to Wallace's 20,2721 votes.[11]

After he lost his Senate campaign, he was industrial commissioner for the State of Illinois, followed by two years as an attorney for a waste management district.[1] In 1944, he unsuccessfully ran for United States Congress.[4][8] He was a delegate for three Republican presidential conventions.[4]

King and Blanche lived on the South Side of Chicago. They raised their niece alongside their daughter, Blanche.[8]

Later life and legacy

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King served as deacon for fifteen years at the Olivet Baptist Church.[8] He was a member of the Elks and the Appomattox Club. He was also a freemason. He served on the board of directors for the Wabash YMCA.[8] In the late 1960s, he remained active in local Republican party activities. He was vice chair of the Cook County Republican Central Commission and a member of the G.O.P. State Central Committee.[3] He practiced law until his death.[4]

King died in October 1967 at his home in Chicago.[4] Jet and The Chicago Tribune published obituaries about him.[3][4] His funeral was held at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Yesterday In Negro History". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. May 16, 1968. p. 11 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c d e Williams, Erma Brooks (2008). Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005. University Press of America. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-7618-4018-3. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. 19 October 1967. p. 10. Retrieved 19 July 2022. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "W.E. King, 79, 3d Ward G.O.P. Leader, Dies". Chicago Tribune. 3 October 1967. p. 30. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "King-Goldsby & Dejohnette". King-Goldsby & Dejohnette. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  6. ^ Congress, United States (July 14, 1969). "Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
  7. ^ State, Illinois Office of Secretary of (July 26, 1925). "Illinois Blue Book". Secretary of State – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Home, Church and Community Are Hub of William E. King's Political Life". Chicago Tribune. 1 October 1944. p. 128. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  9. ^ Smith, J. Clay Jr. (1999). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-8122-1685-1. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  10. ^ a b Walton, Hanes Jr.; Puckett, Sherman; Deskins, Donald R. Jr. (July 20, 2012). The African American Electorate. SAGE. ISBN 9780872895089 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Election Figures". Illinois Blue Book 1937-1938. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 791. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
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