Leroy Tyus
Leroy Tyus | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Missouri General Assembly from the 63rd district | |
| In office 1950–1961 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 4, 1916 Brownsville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 1998 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Lane College, Lincoln University |
| Occupation | Politician, real estate developer |
Eddie Leroy Tyus (1916–1998)[1][2] also known as LeRoy Tyus, was an American politician, real estate developer, and state legislator in Missouri.[3] Tyus represented St. Louis as a democrat in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1950 to 1961.[1][3][4][5] Also known as E. Leroy Tyus.
Biography
[edit]Leroy Tyus was born in Brownsville, Tennessee.[2] He attended Lane College, and Lincoln University law school.[2] He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[2]
Tyus represented St. Louis (in the 63rd District, and 20th Ward) as a democrat in the Missouri House of Representatives for five terms, from 1950 to 1961. He pushed for desegregation, and while in office he unsuccessfully pushed for a bill that would desegregate the schools.[4] He was a Democratic Committee member in the 20th Ward for 23 years.[3] He retired from politics in 1983.[3]
In 1984, Tyus was one of six people indicted in a cable television case, they were charged with conspiracy and attempted extortion.[3][6] The others involved in the legal case included Sorkis Webbe Jr., an alderman in the 7th Ward; Sorkis Webbe Sr., a powerful St. Louis politician; Thomas E. Zych, politician and president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen; James D. Cullen, Jr. a lawyer; and Eugene P. Slay, a businessman.[3] The courts convicted the six people, but it was later appealed and the case was overturned and Zych was acquitted.[7]
He died from complications of a heart attack on October 15, 1998, at the Vencor Hospital in St. Louis.[1] His the namesake of Tyus Court in St. Louis.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Leroy Tyus, 83; former 20th Ward committeeman, state representative". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 18, 1998. p. 47 – via Newspaper.com.
- ^ a b c d Official Manual of the State of Missouri. Secretary of State. 1957. pp. 164, 167.
- ^ a b c d e f "Zych, 5 Others Indicted In Cable Case". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 9, 1984. Retrieved 2023-04-18 – via Newspapers.com. pp. 1, 3
- ^ a b c Wright, John Aaron (2002). Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites. Missouri History Museum. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-883982-45-4.
- ^ "Mo. Senate Kills Equal School Bill". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 1953-05-07. p. 58.
- ^ Messenger, Tony (February 21, 2022). "Ex-con struggling with halfway house contract has colorful past". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-04-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Holleman, Joe (November 9, 2017). "Sorkis Webbe Jr. still Democratic young blood". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-04-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1916 births
- 1998 deaths
- Politicians from St. Louis
- 20th-century African-American politicians
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri
- American businesspeople in real estate
- Lane College alumni
- Lincoln University (Missouri) alumni
- People from Brownsville, Tennessee
- African-American men in politics