Charles Chew, Jr. (October 9, 1922 – July 3, 1986) was an American politician in Illinois. He served in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

from 1967-1986. Born in

Greenville, Mississippi Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 34,400 at the 2010 census. It is located in the area of historic cotton plantations and culture known as the Mississippi Delta. Hi ...

, Chew served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He went to

Tuskegee University Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was d ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. Chew served on the

Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is gaveled into session regularly, usually mont ...

and was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. He worked as an administrative assistant in community relations in the Cook County Sheriff office. Chew served in the

from 1967 until his death in 1986. He led the

Illinois Legislative Black Caucus The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Illinois Legislature. Priorities The primary mission of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is "to assure that the interest ...

alongside

Carol Moseley Braun Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun, also sometimes Moseley-Braun (born August 16, 1947), is a former U.S. Senator, an American diplomat, politician, and lawyer who represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1999. Prior to her Senate ...

. Chew died in a hospital in Chicago, Illinois from throat cancer.'Feisty State Sen. Charles Chew Dies,' Chicago Tribune, Rob Karwath, July 4, 1986

Notes

1922 births 1986 deaths African-American state legislators in Illinois Politicians from Chicago Politicians from Greenville, Mississippi Military personnel from Illinois Harvard University alumni Tuskegee University alumni Chicago City Council members Democratic Party Illinois state senators Deaths from cancer in Illinois 20th-century American legislators United States Navy personnel of World War II Deaths from throat cancer in the United States 20th-century Illinois politicians {{Illinois-statesenator-stub