Benjamin S. Adamowski (November 20, 1906 – March 1, 1982) was a politician and lawyer.
Ben Adamowski | |
|---|---|
| Cook County State's Attorney | |
| In office 1956–1960 | |
| Preceded by | John S. Boyle |
| Succeeded by | Daniel P. Ward |
| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 25th district | |
| In office 1931–1941 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 20, 1906 |
| Died | March 1, 1982 (age 75) |
| Political party | Republican (since 1955) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 1955) |
| Alma mater | DePaul University College of Law |
Early life
editHis father, Max Adamowski, was an alderman in Chicago, as well as a real estate agent in Logan Square, and tavern owner.[1] He graduated from DePaul University Law School in 1928.
Career
editHe served in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 25th District from 1931 through 1941.[2] In the legislature, he distanced himself from the machine politics his father had been aligned with, and aligned himself with liberal reformist governor Henry Horner.[1] In 1940, Adamowski unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in the special U.S. Senate election.[3]
In 1941, Adamowski left the legislature to serve as the Corporation Counsel of Chicago under Mayor Martin H. Kennelly, a role he held for at least three years.[1]
He was a Democrat until 1955, when he was defeated by Richard J. Daley in the Democratic primary for mayor. In later campaigns for State's Attorney and a second bid for mayor against Daley in 1963 he ran as a Republican.[4]
He served from 1957 to 1960 as State's Attorney of Cook County.[5] In May 1959, he uncovered a $500,000-a-year ticket-fixing scandal in Chicago Traffic Court, and indicted four court employees on corruption charges.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Cohen, Adam; Taylor, Elizabeth (2001). American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley - His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Little, Brown. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7595-2427-9.
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1939-1940,' biographical sketch of Benjamin Adamowski, pg. 194-195
- ^ "OFFICIAL VOTE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS CAST AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, NOV. 5, 1940 JUDICIAL ELECTIONS, 1939-1940 PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 9, 1940" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers". 8 April 2024.
- ^ "In 1963, Kennedy's dedication of O'Hare gave Daley a welcome boost". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-14.