Leon Despres, Chicago Rebel
Against The Current vol. 143
Fried, Frank
http://www.solidarity-us.org/node/2453
Date Written: 2009-11-01
Publisher: Against The Current
Year Published: 2009
Resource Type: Article
Cx Number: CX13584
Iconic Chicago alderman Leon Despres died at the age of 101 on May 6, 2009 in the city he lived and loved. A little frail in stature, Len had a broad intellect that was fully intact to the very end. He fought much of his adult life for a progressive vision of Chicago that “Machine” politics was never ready to accept. After his 1955 election as alderman, and in the first decade of his two-decade term, many city council votes were recorded 49-1. Despres was the lone dissenter.
