Cecil A. Partee | |
|---|---|
 official portrait, circa 1976 | |
| Cook County State's Attorney | |
| In office April 24, 1989 – December 1, 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Richard M. Daley |
| Succeeded by | Jack O'Malley |
| Chicago City Treasurer | |
| In office April 1979 – April 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph G. Bertand |
| Succeeded by | Miriam Santos |
| President of the Illinois Senate | |
| In office January 8, 1975 – February 16, 1977 | |
| Governor | James R. Thompson |
| Preceded by | William Harris |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Hynes |
| Member of theIllinois Senate from the 26th district | |
| In office January 4, 1967 – February 16, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | David Davis IV |
| Succeeded by | Harold Washington |
| Member of theIllinois House of Representatives | |
| In office 1957–1967 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cecil Armillo Partee (1921-04-10)April 10, 1921 |
| Died | August 17, 1994(1994-08-17) (aged 73) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Paris |
| Children | Two |
| Residence(s) | Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Tennessee State University(B.A.) Northwestern University(J.D.) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Cecil Armillo Partee (April 10, 1921 – August 17, 1994) was an American attorney and politician. He was the firstAfrican American to serve as president of theIllinois Senate and the first to serve asCook County State's Attorney. He served in both theIllinois House of Representatives and theIllinois State Senate. He also served three terms asCity Treasurer of Chicago.
Born inBlytheville, Arkansas, Partee received his bachelor's degree fromTennessee State University and hisJ.D. degree fromNorthwestern University School of Law in 1946.[1]
He practiced law and was an assistant state's attorney. In 1956, he was elected to theIllinois House of Representatives as aDemocrat. As a member of the House, he served on a special House committee on reapportionment, as chairman of an interim legislative committee that set up the Illinois Fair Employment Practices Commission, and as chairman of the House Elections Committee.[1]
While in the House, Partee sponsoredfair housing legislation.[2] He was also a leader in pursuingfair employment practices legislation.[1]
In 1966, he was elected to theIllinois State Senate. In 1975, he was elected as President of the Illinois Senate, becoming the first black person to serve in that role and the first to head a state legislature anywhere in the United States since the end ofReconstruction.[1]
He ran forIllinois Attorney General in 1976 and won the Democratic Party nomination, but lost the general election toRepublican William Scott.[1]
During the 1970s, Partee served as Democratic Party committeeman for Chicago's 20th ward. He was credited in hisChicago Tribune obituary for playing an important role in helpingHarold Washington win a close election for State Representative while in this position.[1]
In 1979, he successfully ran forCity Treasurer of Chicago.[1] He won re-election twice and served in the office until 1989.[3]
Partee was appointed State's Attorney for Cook County on April 24, 1989, whenRichard M. Daley was electedMayor of Chicago. He was the first black person to serve in this office, and the last untilKim Foxx won electionin 2016.[1] He lost aspecial election for the office toRepublican nomineeJack O'Malley onNovember 6, 1990.
Partee died oflung cancer in Chicago on August 17, 1994.[4][1]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forAttorney General of Illinois 1976 | Succeeded by Richard J. Troy |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
