Donald Stephens
Donald E. Stephens | |
|---|---|
| 1st Village President of Rosemont, Illinois | |
| In office 1956 – April 18, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Bradley Stephens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 13, 1928 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | April 18, 2007 (aged 79) Rosemont, Illinois, United States |
| Political party | Republican |
Donald E. Stephens (March 13, 1928 – April 18, 2007) was the first village president (mayor) of Rosemont, Illinois, US. He was also a leading Illinois Republican politician.
Stephens, born in Chicago, is believed to have been the longest-serving mayor in the United States at the time of his death. He was in the middle of serving his thirteenth consecutive four-year term as mayor of the suburban Cook County village; he almost exceeded the Illinois record for longest-serving mayor, set by Frank Caliper of Colp. He had served as mayor since its incorporation in 1956.[1] Prior to that, he had been the president of the homeowner's association of the neighborhood that later became known as Rosemont. During his tenure, Rosemont grew from a tiny community of only 85 to one of Illinois' most politically important communities, with over 4,000 residents as well as the nation's tenth-largest convention center. Stephens also oversaw the construction of the 18,500 seat Allstate Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon) and the Rosemont Theatre.[1]
Controversy
Stephens' political career was dogged by accusations of association with organized crime,[2][3] which led to the only major political defeat in his career: the revocation of a state-issued casino license for Rosemont.[1] In 1983, Stephens was indicted, in separate prosecutions, for tax fraud and bribery, but was acquitted on both charges.[citation needed] Federal authorities investigated him multiple times throughout his career.[3]
Death
Stephens died in Rosemont on April 18, 2007, of complications of stomach cancer.[1] His son Brad succeeded him as mayor.[4]
Personal life
Stephens was also an avid collector of Hummel figurines and established a museum holding his collection in Rosemont. The Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels claims to be the largest public display of Hummel figurines in the world.
References
- ^ a b c d Wronski, Richard (April 19, 2007). "Don Stephens: 1928 - 2007". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ "Longtime Rosemont mayor Donald Stephens dies at 79". The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus. April 19, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Herguth, Robert (26 July 2019). "Rosemont under scrutiny by the FBI, sources tell the Sun-Times". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ McCoppin, Robert. "Rosemont mayor in line to make $260,000 — more than Rahm Emanuel". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 12 October 2018.