William E. Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
William E. Rodriguez was an American
socialist politician and lawyer. A founding member of the Chicago chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union
, Rodriguez is best remembered as the first Hispanic
individual elected to the Chicago City Council
.
Eldritus) Emilio Rodriguez was born in Naperville, Illinois
on September 15, 1879. His father, Emilio, was a Spaniard
who worked as a laborer and his mother, of ethnic German
extraction, was born in Wisconsin
.
Rodriguez attended public schools and worked as a house painter following his graduation from high school.
He later entered law school, graduating from Marshall Law School in 1912 and joining a small firm in Chicago.
Rodriguez married Sophia V. Levitin and was the brother-in-law
of radical journalist J. Louis Engdahl
, who was married to another Levitin sister.
from shortly after his graduation of high school.
In 1911, he was the Socialist candidate for Mayor of Chicago
. In this race he garnered 24,825 votes, trailing the major party candidates by over 135,000 each.
Rodriguez moved into the 15th Ward of Chicago, located in the city's northwest, and ran for Chicago City Council
in 1914. When the Republican victor of that race died suddenly not long after the election, Rodriguez announced his candidacy in a replacement election. Rodriguez won the race for the remainder of the term with a plurality and gained reelection in 1916.
As a Chicago City Council member, Rodriguez targeted the city's transit companies, which he charged were making exorbitant profits and billing the public for unnecessary "public service messages" in the press.
Rodriguez was targeted in the 1918 City Council race in the climate of anti-Socialist nationalism and the Republicans and Democrats in his ward united behind a "fusion" candidate, who won by 266 votes.
In 1918, Rodriguez became involved in the Labor Party of Cook County
, a forerunner of the Labor Party of the United States. He subsequently left the Socialist movement.
and ran unsuccessfully for judge in 1933.
Rodriguez continued to practice law until he was in his late-80s. After his retirement, Rodriguez moved to Phoenix, Arizona
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
socialist politician and lawyer. A founding member of the Chicago chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, Rodriguez is best remembered as the first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
individual elected to the Chicago City Council
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 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
.
Early years
William (christenedChristening
Christening is a naming ceremony associated with:*Baptism*Infant baptism*Ship naming and launching...
Eldritus) Emilio Rodriguez was born in Naperville, Illinois
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
on September 15, 1879. His father, Emilio, was a Spaniard
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
who worked as a laborer and his mother, of ethnic German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
extraction, was born in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
Rodriguez attended public schools and worked as a house painter following his graduation from high school.
He later entered law school, graduating from Marshall Law School in 1912 and joining a small firm in Chicago.
Rodriguez married Sophia V. Levitin and was the brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
of radical journalist J. Louis Engdahl
J. Louis Engdahl
John Louis Engdahl was an American socialist journalist and newspaper editor. One of the leading journalists of the Socialist Party of America, Engdahl joined the Communist movement in 1921 and continued to employ his talents in that organization as the first editor of The Daily Worker...
, who was married to another Levitin sister.
Political career
Rodriguez joined the Socialist Party of AmericaSocialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
from shortly after his graduation of high school.
In 1911, he was the Socialist candidate for Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
. In this race he garnered 24,825 votes, trailing the major party candidates by over 135,000 each.
Rodriguez moved into the 15th Ward of Chicago, located in the city's northwest, and ran for Chicago City Council
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 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
in 1914. When the Republican victor of that race died suddenly not long after the election, Rodriguez announced his candidacy in a replacement election. Rodriguez won the race for the remainder of the term with a plurality and gained reelection in 1916.
As a Chicago City Council member, Rodriguez targeted the city's transit companies, which he charged were making exorbitant profits and billing the public for unnecessary "public service messages" in the press.
Rodriguez was targeted in the 1918 City Council race in the climate of anti-Socialist nationalism and the Republicans and Democrats in his ward united behind a "fusion" candidate, who won by 266 votes.
In 1918, Rodriguez became involved in the Labor Party of Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, a forerunner of the Labor Party of the United States. He subsequently left the Socialist movement.
Later life
After his defeat in 1918, Rodriguez retired from politics to practice law. He helped to establish the Chicago chapter of the American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
and ran unsuccessfully for judge in 1933.
Rodriguez continued to practice law until he was in his late-80s. After his retirement, Rodriguez moved to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.