Ben Adamowski | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Adamowski, circa 1939 | |
| Cook County State's Attorney | |
| In office 1956–1960 | |
| Preceded by | John S. Boyle |
| Succeeded by | Daniel P. Ward |
| Member of theIllinois House of Representatives from the 25th district | |
| In office 1931–1941 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 20, 1906 |
| Died | March 1, 1982 (age 75) |
| Political party | Republican (since 1955) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 1955) |
| Alma mater | DePaul University College of Law |
Benjamin S. Adamowski (November 20, 1906 – March 1, 1982) was a politician and lawyer.
His father,Max Adamowski, was analderman inChicago, as well as areal estate agent inLogan Square, andtavern owner.[1] He graduated fromDePaul University Law School in 1928.
He served in theIllinois House of Representatives, representing the 25th District from 1931 through 1941.[2] In the legislature, he distanced himself from themachine politics his father had been aligned with, and aligned himself with liberal reformist governorHenry Horner.[1] In 1940, Adamowski unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in thespecial U.S. Senate election.[3]
In 1941, Adamowski left the legislature to serve as the Corporation Counsel of Chicago under MayorMartin H. Kennelly, a role he held for at least three years.[1]
He was aDemocrat until 1955, when he was defeated byRichard J. Daley inthe Democratic primary for mayor. In later campaigns for State's Attorney anda second bid for mayor against Daley in 1963 he ran as aRepublican.[4]
He served from 1957 to 1960 asState's Attorney of Cook County.[5] In May 1959, he uncovered a $500,000-a-year ticket-fixing scandal inChicago Traffic Court, and indicted four court employees on corruption charges.[1]