William "Bill" Shaw (July 31, 1937 – November 26, 2008) was an American politician. Shaw is noted as the first African-American to serve as mayor of

Dolton, Illinois Dolton (pronounced "DAWL-ton") is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,426 at the 2020 census. Dolton is located just west of the expressway Interstate 94 and immediately south of the city limits of Chicago. Its ...

from 1997 until his death in 2008. For many years, Shaw and his twin brother

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

were dominant political "kingmakers" of Chicago's southern suburbs and its far South Side. However, their influence dissipated greatly in the early 2000s.

Biography

Early life and education

Shaw was one of two twin boys born on July 31, 1937, to Gertrude and William McKinley Shaw in

Fulton, Arkansas Fulton is a town in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 201 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area. The community is named after steamboat inventor Robert Fulton. Geography Fulton i ...

. His parents were

sharecroppers Sharecropping is a legal arrangement with regard to agricultural land in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land. Sharecropping has a long history and there are a wide range ...

who moved to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

when he was seven years old. After ten years there, Shaw's family which consisted of six siblings relocated to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. For high school, Shaw first attended

Vashon High School Vashon High School is a high school of the St. Louis Public Schools in St. Louis, Missouri. When it opened in 1927, it was the second high school for black students in St. Louis. History Designed by Rockwell M. Milligan, the school opened on Sep ...

in St. Louis. At age seventeen, Shaw's family relocated to Chicago, settling on the city's west side. Shaw went on to attended Crane Technical High School; graduating in 1955. After high school, Shaw pursued a short career in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

.The HistoryMakers - The Honorable William E. Shaw
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Career

Shaw first entered in politics as an assistant to Alderman

Wilson Frost Wilson Lee Frost (December 27, 1925 – May 5, 2018) was an American politician and former Chicago, Illinois alderman, Frost served as alderman of the city's 21st (1967–1971) and 34th wards (1971–1987), totaling twenty years in Chicago's City ...

of Chicago's 34th Ward in 1977. Shaw served as the assistant director of the Illinois Department of Support Services from 1979 until 1982. Shaw was elected to the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

in 1982 to the 34th district. He represented the district until 1993. After the 1991 decennial redistricting, Shaw opted to challenge Democratic incumbent Richard F. Kelly for the 15th Senate district. Shaw won the primary by approximately 2,000 votes. During his time in the General Assembly, Shaw pushed for a law that required public schools to teach African-American history. In addition, Shaw also co-sponsored legislation to create the Illinois organ donor program in the secretary of state's office. Shaw served for a decade until losing election to Reverend James T. Meeks in 2003. Shaw was elected mayor of

in April 1997, becoming the city's first

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

mayor. Shaw served five terms as mayor until his death on November 26, 2008. Ronnie Lewis was named by the City Council as interim mayor. After his loss Senate, Governor

George Ryan George Homer Ryan (born February 24, 1934) is an American former politician and member of the Republican Party who served as the 39th governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. Elected in 1998, Ryan received national attention for his 1999 mor ...

named Shaw to the position of Small Business Utility Advocate for a term starting March 1, 2003. The position's mandate is to protect and promote the interests of small business utility customers; provide information and assistance regarding utility conservation measures; notify small business community regarding proceedings before state and federal regulatory commissions and courts. The position requires confirmation by the Illinois Senate. Ultimately, in February 2003, Governor

Rod Blagojevich Rod Blagojevich ( , born December 10, 1956), often referred to by his nicknames "Blago" or "B-Rod", is an American former politician, political commentator, and convicted felon who served as the 40th governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009, when ...

chose not to put anyone forward for the position as a cost saving measure.

Personal and death

Shaw was married and had four children. Shaw died of

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...

at his home in Dolton, Illinois at age 71.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, William 1937 births 2008 deaths People from Hempstead County, Arkansas People from Dolton, Illinois Politicians from Chicago Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Democratic Party Illinois state senators Mayors of places in Illinois Deaths from cancer in Illinois American twins 20th-century American politicians African-American mayors in Illinois Crane High School (Chicago) alumni