LOUIS STOKES
Louis Stokes played a pivotal role in the quest for civil rights, equality and social and
economic justice throughout his tenure in the Unites States Congress.
Mr. Stokes was educated in
the Cleveland Public Schools, graduating from Central High School. Following three years of
service in the United States Army, he returned to Cleveland and attended Western Reserve
University. He earned his Doctor of Laws Degree from Cleveland Marshal Law School in
1953.
Prior to serving in Congress, Mr. Stokes practiced Law for 14 years and was one of the founders
of Stokes, Character, Terry, Perry, Whitehead, Young and Davidson law firm. As a practicing
lawyer, Mr. Stokes participated in three cases in the United States Supreme Court, including
arguing the landmark "stop and frisk" case of
Terry v. Ohio. On November 6, 1968, Mr. Stokes was elected to the United States
Congress and became the first African American member of Congress from the State of Ohio. He served
fifteen consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representative, ranking 11
th overall in House seniority.
During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Stokes shared several important committees, including most
notably, the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the Ethics Committee, the House Intelligence
Committee, and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, HUD and Independent Agencies.
He was the dean of the Ohio Congressional Delegation, a founding member of the Congressional Black
Caucus, and he served on the house Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with
Iran. His work in the area of health led to his appointment as a member of the Pepper
Commission on Comprehensive Health Care, and he was the founder and chairman of the Congressional
Black Caucus Health Braintrust.
When Mr. Stokes retired, he
became the first African American in the history of the U.S. Congress to retire having completed 30
years in office. Following his service in Congress, he became senior counsel at Squire,
Sanders, and Dempsey L.L. P., a global law firm, and Distinguished Visiting professor at the Mandel
School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University. He has served as vice
chairman of the PEW Environmental Health Commission at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
and was appointed by former Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna E. Shalala as chairman of
the Advisory Committee on Minority Health.
Through the years, Mr. Stokes
has received numerous awards and honors that recognize his national leadership and strong
commitment to public service. A number of landmarks around the city of Cleveland now bear
his name such as The Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Administration Hospital. The Louis Stokes
Annex of the Cleveland Public Library and The Louis Stokes Health Sciences Center at Case
Western Reserve University. Several National institutions, including Howard University in
Washington, D.C., and the National Institutes of Health, have recognized Mr. Stokes by naming
certain building on their campuses after him. He is the recipient of 26 honorary doctorate
degrees from colleges and universities and on July 8, 2003 was honored by Congress with The
Congressional Distinguished Service Award.
Mr. Stokes and his wife Jay
are the parents of Shelley, Angela, Louis and Lori, and grandparents to Brett, Eric and Grant
Hammond; Kelley and Kimberly Stokes; and Alexandra and Nicolette Thompson.
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