William L. Dawson (politician)
| William Levi Dawson | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 1st district |
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In office January 3, 1943 – November 9, 1970 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur W. Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Ralph H. Metcalfe |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 26, 1886 Albany, Georgia |
| Died | November 9, 1970 (aged 84) Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican before 1939, Democratic after 1939 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
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| Service/branch |
 United States Army
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| Years of service | 1917–1919 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Unit | 366th Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
William Levi Dawson (April 26, 1886 – November 9, 1970) was an African-American politician who represented Chicago, Illinois for more than 27 years in the United States House of Representatives. In the 1940s he was active in the civil rights movement and sponsored registration drives. After 1952 he became closely aligned with the Democratic city machine, collaborating often with Mayor Richard J. Daley. In a new role he focused on patronage for his constituents and avoided involvement in civil rights issues, and gave no support to the efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr. to shake up city politics.
Dawson was born in Albany, Georgia in 1886. He attended the local public school and graduated from Albany Normal School in 1905, which prepared teachers for lower schools. He went on to graduate magna cum laude in 1909 from Fisk University, a historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee.
He moved to Illinois in 1912 to study at Northwestern University Law School in Evanston. He was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at Theta Chapter.
After the entry of the U.S. into World War I, Dawson served in France as a first lieutenant with the 366th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army from 1917 until 1919. After returning home, he was admitted to the bar in 1920 and started private practice in Chicago.
He began his political career as a member of the Republican Party in 1930 as a state central committeeman for the First Congressional District of Illinois. He held this position until 1932. He was elected as an alderman for the second ward of Chicago from 1933 until 1939 and as a Democratic Party committeeman after 1939.
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