John Stroger
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John H. Stroger, Jr. is a politician who in 1994 became the first African American president of the Cook County, Illinois Board of Commissioners. Stroger is a member of the Democratic Party.
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[edit] Early life
John Stroger was born May 19, 1929 in Helena, Arkansas. In 1953 he graduated from Xavier University in Louisiana with a B.S. in business administration. Stroger then relocated to Chicago in 1953 and became active in the Democratic party in the South Side of Chicago. After only a year Stroger was appointed as an assistant auditor with the Municipal Court of Chicago. Stroger then served as personnel director for the Cook County Jail from 1955 to 1961. Stroger attended law school at the DePaul University College of Law and graduated in 1965. While earning a law degree he worked for the financial director of the State of Illinois. In 1968, Stroger was elected 8th Ward Committeeman. After his election to the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1970, Stroger went on to chair every major board committee, including finance, health, building and zoning. As Commissioner, Stroger sponsored legislation aimed at assisting minority- and female-owned businesses.
[edit] Board president
Stroger has completed much he set out to do as board president including balancing the county's $2.9 billion dollar budget. He also instituted a Juvenile Drug Court, appointed a Commission on Women's Issues and opened a new AIDS treatment and research facility. Stroger served on the Chicago Metropolitan Healthcare Council and the board of South Shore Hospital. He renamed the New Cook County Hospital the John H. Stroger, Jr. Cook County Hospital after himself, while he was serving as County Board President. Stroger is past president of the National Association of Counties and was appointed by former President Bill Clinton as a member of the Advisory Committee On Intergovernmental Relations.
[edit] Religion and family
A long time member of St. Felicitas Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago, Stroger and his wife, Yonnie, have a son, Todd, and a daughter, Yonnie Lynn. Another son, Hans Eric died while in college. Stroger's surviving son, Todd, succeeded John as Cook County Board Commissioner.
[edit] Conflicts as Cook County Board President
Stroger came under increased fire in the later years of his presidency for what his critics call a scandal- and patronage-ridden administration. Stroger supporters claim that he committed his public career to providing quality and affordable health care for the poorer residents of Cook County and that this is reflected by the fact that the new Cook County Hospital was named in honor of Stroger in 2001. Another conflict occurred when Stroger beat a squirrel to death with his bare hands, in what many believe was an attempt at satire.
[edit] Campaigns for Cook County Board President
Stroger defeated two opponents in the 1994 Democratic Primary for county board president after incumbent President Richard Phelan unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor. Stroger trounced Republican Aurelia Pucinski in the general election even beating her in many white ethnic wards to the surprise of many machine watchers. In 1998, he defeated a Republican-turned-Democrat challenger and Cook County Commissioner Cal Sutker. Stroger decided to seek his fourth term in 2006 and was challenged in the Democratic primary by Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, who ran as a reform candidate and accused Stroger of presiding over a "bloated" government.
[edit] 2006 Election results
Despite suffering a severe stroke on March 14, 2006, just a week before the primary election, John Stroger still managed to secure his party's support by a final margin of 53% to 47% over Forrest Claypool. The severity of his condition was concealed from voters both before and for 3 months after the Democratic primary, possibly allowing his primary victory and preventing independent opposition to the replacement Democratic candidate in the general election. Although he overcame adversity in the form of health complications in the past, questions still lingered regarding his ability to serve another term a Cook County Board President until his resignation in July 2006.
[edit] Current health status
Stroger has not been seen by the public since his March 2006 stroke. Some people have speculated that he has been on a feeding tube for the nearly 5 months since his stroke, is unable to turn over in bed and needs to be carried from his wheelchair to bed, although this is unknown. He has an extended history of medical complications as a diabetic with prostate cancer who underwent a quadruple bypass in 2001. Despite these hurdles Stroger bounced back each time until his 2006 stroke. On April 5, 2006 Stroger was moved to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to continue his treatment for partial paralysis on his left side and other damage caused by the stroke.
On May 19, 2006 John Stroger was moved to a private condominium in Chicago to continue to recover from the stroke. For several months after his stroke there was no indication of if and when Stroger would be able to conduct the duties of Cook County Board President for the remaining months of his current term, or continue to campaign for a fourth term. Among others, Stroger's son, Chicago Alderman Todd Stroger indicated that he considers himself qualified to assume his father's position. Stroger's family, including son Todd Stroger, a Chicago city alderman, promised more information and a decision about Stroger's future by July. Several other candidates, including Congressman Danny Davis, have expressed interest in running for Cook County Board President on the Democratic ticket.
In late June 2006 John Stroger was removed from the Democratic ticket for Cook County Board President and replaced by his son, Todd Stroger. Stroger also resigned as Cook County Board President effective August 1, 2006 and was replaced by interim president Bobbie L. Steele.
