Donald Stephens

File:Mayor Stephens.jpg

Mayor Donald E. Stephens

Donald E. Stephens (March 13, 1928 – April 18 2007) was the first mayor of Rosemont, Illinois and 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 had served as mayor since its incorporation in 1956. 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 4000 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.

Stephens' political career was dogged by accusations of association with organized crime, which led to the only major political defeat in his career: the revocation of a state-issued casino license for Rosemont. In 1983, Stephens was indicted, in separate prosecutions, for tax fraud and bribery, but was acquitted on both charges.

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.

Stephens died in Rosemont on April 18 2007 of complications of stomach cancer.

References

• Longtime Rosemont mayor Donald Stephens dies at 79 (Quad-Cities Online)
• Rosemont Mayor Donald Stephens Dies (WBBM NewsRadio 780)
• Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens dies (Daily Herald)
• Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels
• Rosemont's first—and only—mayor (Chicago Tribune)