Carl Stokes
| Carl Stokes | |
|---|---|
 |
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| United States Ambassador to Seychelles | |
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In office 7 September 1994 – 12 May 1995 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | F. Stephen Malott |
| Succeeded by | Brent E. Blaschke |
| 51st Mayor of Cleveland | |
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In office 1968–1971 |
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| Preceded by | Ralph S. Locher |
| Succeeded by | Ralph J. Perk |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 44th district |
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In office January 3, 1967 – January 5, 1968 |
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| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | Phillip DeLaine |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Carl Burton Stokes June 21, 1927 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A |
| Died | April 3, 1996 (aged 68) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Resting place | Lake View Cemetery Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Shirley Edwards Raija Kostadinov |
| Children | Carl Stokes Jr. Cordi Stokes Cordell Stokes Cynthia Stokes Sasha Kostadinov (stepson) |
| Parents | Charles Stokes Louise Stone |
| Alma mater |
University of Minnesota Cleveland State University |
| Occupation | Politician, Lawyer |
| Awards | World War II Victory Medal |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1946 |
| Rank | Private |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Carl Burton Stokes (June 21, 1927 – April 3, 1996) was an American politician of the Democratic party who served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Elected on November 7, 1967, and taking office on January 1, 1968, he was the first black elected mayor of a major U.S. city.
Stokes was born in Cleveland, the son of Louise (Stone) and Charles Stokes, a laundryman who died when Carl was three years old. He and his brother, politician Louis Stokes, were raised by their mother in Cleveland's first federally funded housing project for the poor, Outhwaite Homes. Although a good student, Stokes dropped out of high school in 1944, worked briefly at Thompson Products (later TRW), then joined the U.S. Army at age 18. After his discharge in 1946, Stokes returned to Cleveland and earned his high school diploma in 1947.
He then attended several colleges before earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954. He graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1956 and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1957. While studying law he was a probation officer. For four years, he served as assistant prosecutor and became partner in the law firm of Stokes, Stokes, continuing that practice into his political career; it was successful after one year.
Elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1962, he served three terms. Stokes worked hard to even out legislative districts. Then, Ohio had uneven representation among its Congressional and General Assembly districts. By the late 1960s, he was able to carve out a district that could elect him to Congress, but deferred to his brother Louis Stokes who represented Cleveland in the US House of Representatives for three decades. Stokes narrowly lost a bid for mayor of Cleveland in 1965. His victory two years later drew national attention, as he was the first black mayor of one of the ten biggest cities in the United States.
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