Adelbert H. Roberts

Adelbert H. Roberts (August 20, 1866 – January 26, 1937) was an American politician who in 1924 became the first African American to serve in the Illinois Senate.

Adelbert H. Roberts
Roberts in 1925 as State Senator
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office
1924–1934
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office
1918–1920
Personal details
Born(1866-08-20)August 20, 1866
Decatur, Michigan
DiedJanuary 26, 1937(1937-01-26) (aged 70)
Chicago, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Lula Wiley
​
(m. 1895)​
Children4
Education
OccupationLawyer, politician

Biography

Roberts was born August 20, 1866, in Decatur, Michigan.[1] He graduated from high school at 17 and became a teacher. He then chose to take Ph.D. coursework at University of Michigan before attending Northwestern University School of Law. In 1895, he married Lula Wiley with whom he would have four children.[2]

In 1918, Roberts was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives as a Republican. After the Chicago race riot of 1919, Governor Frank Orren Lowden's appointed Roberts to the Chicago Commission on Race Relations created in response to the incident.[3] He was appointed to the Illinois Senate in 1924 to fill a vacancy and elected to the Senate in 1926 and 1930. During his tenure, he was a resident of the Douglas community area.[1]

Roberts died January 26, 1937, in Chicago. He was survived by Lula and two of his sons.[4]

In 1984, Senator Margaret Smith and Representative Howard B. Brookins Sr. successfully campaigned to have a statue of Roberts installed in the Capitol rotunda.[3]

References
  1. Illinois Blue Book 1933-1934 page 121
  2. "Illinois Blue Book". 1925.
  3. Gherardini, Caroline, ed. (February 1984). "Honors". Illinois Issues. Vol. 9, no. 2. Springfield, Illinois: Sangamon State University. p. 41. ISSN 0738-9663. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  4. "A.H. Roberts, 1st Negro in State Senate, is Dead". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. January 28, 1937. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
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