Adelbert H. Roberts

Adelbert H. Roberts
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	August 20, 1866; Decatur, Michigan
Died	January 26, 1937 (aged 70); Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Lula Wiley (m. 1895)
Children	4
Education	University of Michigan; Northwestern University School of Law;
Occupation	Lawyer, politician

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.

Biography[edit]

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[edit]

^ ^a ^b Illinois Blue Book 1933–1934. p. 121.
^ "Illinois Blue Book". 1925.
^ ^a ^b 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.
^ "A.H. Roberts, 1st Negro in State Senate, is Dead". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. January 28, 1937. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

Adelbert H. Roberts at Find a Grave

[1933-1934_Blue_Book-1] Illinois Blue Book 1933–1934. p. 121.

[2] "Illinois Blue Book". 1925.

[Statue-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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