View source for Louis Stokes

{{short description|American politician}}

{{more citations needed|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Louis Stokes
|image        = Louis Stokes.jpg
|office       = Member of the<br />[[U.S. House of Representatives]]<br />from [[Ohio]]
|term_start   = January 3, 1969
|term_end     = January 3, 1999
|predecessor  = [[Charles Vanik]]
|successor    = [[Stephanie Tubbs Jones]]
|constituency = {{ushr|OH|21|21st district}} (1969–93)<br />{{ushr|OH|11|11th district}} (1993–99)
|office1      = Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Ethics|House Ethics Committee]]
|term_start1  = January 3, 1991
|term_end1    = January 3, 1993
|predecessor1 = [[Julian C. Dixon]]
|successor1   = [[Jim McDermott]]
|term_start2  = January 3, 1981
|term_end2    = January 3, 1985
|predecessor2 = [[Charles Edward Bennett|Charles Bennett]]
|successor2   = [[Julian C. Dixon]]
|office3      = Chair of the [[United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|House Intelligence Committee]]
|term_start3  = January 3, 1987
|term_end3    = January 3, 1989
|predecessor3 = [[Lee H. Hamilton]]
|successor3   = [[Anthony Beilenson]]
|birth_name   = 
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1925|2|23}}
|birth_place  = [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]], U.S.
|death_date   = {{death date and age|2015|8|18|1925|2|23}}
|death_place  = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
|party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse       = Jeannette "Jay" Stokes
|children     = 4
|relatives    = [[Carl Stokes]] (Brother)
|education    = [[Case Western Reserve University]]<br />{{nowrap|[[Cleveland State University College of Law|Cleveland State University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])}}
|allegiance   = {{flag|United States|1912}}
|branch       = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1943–1946
|battles      = [[World War II]]
|module       = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Rep. Louis Stokes Presents the FY1987 Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget.ogg|title=Louis Stokes's voice|type=speech|description=Stokes presents the alternative [[Congressional Black Caucus]] budget for 1987<br/>Recorded May 15, 1986}}
}}
'''Louis Stokes''' (February 23, 1925 – August 18, 2015) was an American attorney, civil rights pioneer and politician. He served 15 terms in the [[United States House of Representatives]] – representing the east side of [[Cleveland]] – and was the first African American congressman elected in the state of [[Ohio]].<ref name="LS"/> He was one of the [[Cold War|Cold War-era]] chairmen of the [[House Intelligence Committee]], headed the [[Congressional Black Caucus]], and was the first African American on the [[House Appropriations Committee]].<ref name=AP1/>

==Early life==
Stokes was born in [[Cleveland, Ohio]], the son of Louise (née Stone) and Charles Stokes.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 21, 2015|title=STOKES, LOUIS - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History|url=http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=SL6|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428164337/http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=SL6|archive-date=April 28, 2017|access-date=July 6, 2021|publisher=[[Case Western Reserve University]]}}</ref> He and his brother, politician [[Carl B. Stokes]], lived in one of the first federally funded housing projects, the [[Outhwaite Homes]]. Stokes attended [[Central High School (Cleveland, Ohio)|Central High School]] and later served in the [[U.S. Army]] from 1943 to 1946. After attending [[Case Western Reserve University|Western Reserve University]] and the [[Cleveland State University College of Law]] on the [[G.I. Bill]],<ref name=AP1/> Stokes began practicing law in Cleveland in 1953. He argued the "[[stop and frisk]]" case of ''[[Terry v. Ohio]]'' before the [[United States Supreme Court]] in 1968.<ref name=AP1/> Later in 1968, he was elected to the House, representing the 21st District of Ohio on Cleveland's East Side. He shifted to the newly created 11th District, covering much of the same area following a 1992 redistricting. Stokes served 30 years in total, retiring in 1999.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

==Career==
Stokes' tenure in the House of [[Rick James|Representatives]] included service on the House Appropriations Committee, where he was influential in bringing revenue to Cleveland. He was particularly interested in veterans' issues and secured funds for health-care facilities for veterans in Cleveland.<ref name=AP1/>
{{multiple image
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| image1 = John_F._Kennedy,_White_House_photo_portrait,_looking_up.jpg
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| image2 = Martin Luther King, Jr..jpg
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| footer = The HSCA investigated the assassinations of [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|John F. Kennedy]] (left) and [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King Jr.]] (right)
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In the 1970s, Stokes served as chairman of the [[House Select Committee on Assassinations]], charged with investigating the murders of President [[John F. Kennedy]] and civil rights leader [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] He served on the House committee that investigated the [[Iran-Contra Affair]]. As chairman of the [[House Ethics Committee]], Stokes oversaw the committee's investigation of a corruption scandal known as [[ABSCAM]] in 1979–80, which eventually led to convictions of one senator and six House members. Recalling Stokes, U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach said: "We were in the midst of a huge ... corruption scandal, and public service was taking a public beating. But Lou Stokes was there as a shining beacon of integrity, of excellence and most important of all for us, of justice."<ref name=AP1/>

In 1971, he was a founding member of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]]. 
[[File:CBCfoundingmembers.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Stokes (standing, fourth from right) with fellow founding members of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]] in 1971]]

In 1992, Stokes ran for president as an Ohio favorite son, winning the delegates from his home district in Ohio, and then, in a minor Democratic convention drama, refused to release the delegate's votes until [[Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign|the Clinton campaign]] formally asked for them.<ref name=AP1/>

Following his time in Congress, Stokes became a distinguished visiting professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at [[Case Western Reserve University]]. He actively served in this role until the time of his death.

==Personal life==
Stokes' daughter, Angela, is a former Cleveland Municipal Court judge who served from 1995 through 2015, while another, [[Lori Stokes|Lori]], was Co-anchor of The 5 O'clock News and The 10 O'clock news and Anchor of The 6 O'clock News until 2022 and earlier Co-anchor of [[Good Day New York]] [[WNYW]] Fox 5. His son, Chuck, is also a [[journalist]] with [[WXYZ-TV]] in Detroit. His daughter, Shelley, is a historic preservationist, writer and public relations professional. Stokes' brother, [[Carl B. Stokes]], was the first [[African American]] mayor of a large American city.<ref name=AP1>[http://www.aol.com/article/2015/08/19/longtime-ohio-congressman-louis-stokes-dies-at-90/21224638/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-sb-bb%7Cdl33%7Csec3_lnk3%26pLid%3D1286362440 "Longtime Ohio Congressman Louis Stokes dies at 90"], aol.com, August 19, 2015; retrieved August 20, 2015.</ref> Stokes was a cousin of funk and R&B musician [[Rick James]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/08/15/thousands-pay-final-respects-to-rick-james.html|title=Thousands Pay Final Respects to Rick James|date=2004-08-15|work=Fox News|access-date=2017-06-21|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uncrownedcommunitybuilders.com/|title=Rick James|website=Uncrowned Community Builders|language=en|access-date=2019-10-16}}</ref>

Stokes was a [[Prince Hall Freemason]],<ref name=PHOHIO>{{cite book|last=Gray|first=David|title=The History of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM 1971–2011: The Fabric of Freemasonry|year=2012|publisher=Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM|location=Columbus, Ohio|isbn=978-0615632957|pages=414}}</ref> and a member of the Cleveland Alumni chapter of [[Kappa Alpha Psi]] fraternity.

===Later life and death===
Stokes retired in 2012 as senior counsel in the law firm of [[Squire, Sanders & Dempsey]], with offices in Cleveland and Washington.<ref>[http://www.squirepattonboggs.com/news/2012/12/squire-sanders-announces-louis-stokes-retirement__ "Squire Sanders Announces Louis Stokes' Retirement as Senior Counsel"], Squire Patton Boggs, December 6, 2012.</ref>

On July 20, 2015, it was reported that Stokes had both [[brain cancer]] and [[lung cancer]].<ref name="LS">{{cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2015/07/louis_stokes_diagnosed_with_lu.html#incart_2box_news_index.ssf|title=Louis Stokes diagnosed with lung and brain cancer|work=cleveland.com|date=20 July 2015|access-date=19 August 2015}}</ref> He died on August 18, 2015, at his home in Cleveland from the diseases at the age of 90.<ref name=AP1/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/cleveland/2015/08/19/former-congressman-louis-stokes-has-died/30953725|title=Former Congressman Louis Stokes has died|author=WKYC Staff|date=August 19, 2015|work=WKYC|access-date=August 19, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was interred at [[Lake View Cemetery]] in Cleveland.<ref>{{CongBio|s000948|name=Louis Stokes|inline=y}}</ref>

==Legacy==
The [[Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority]] opened the Louis Stokes Museum on September 13, 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2007/09/louis_stokes_museum_opens_in_c.html |title=Louis Stokes Museum opens in Cleveland |first=Kari |last=Turner |newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]] |date=September 13, 2007 |access-date=September 21, 2020}}</ref><ref name=LSMuseum>{{cite web |url=https://www.thisiscleveland.com/locations/louis-stokes-museum |title=Louis Stokes Museum |work=[[Destination Cleveland]] |access-date=September 21, 2020}}</ref> This museum houses Stokes memorabilia, video interviews, miscellaneous video footage, awards and a written history about Stokes and his rise to prominence. The museum is located at [[Outhwaite Homes]], 4302 Quincy Avenue.<ref name=LSMuseum/>

From 2006 to 2008, the [[Western Reserve Historical Society]] opened an exhibition on the lives of Congressman Stokes and his brother titled "Carl and Louis Stokes: From the Projects to Politics". The exhibit uses photographs, manuscript collections, and personal items to showcase Louis Stokes' rise from the Outhwaite homes, his legal career, and his Congressional service. The former Congressman was inducted into the Karamu House Hall of Fame in 2007 for his contributions to the continued legacy of Cleveland's black settlement house and theatre.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

Many buildings throughout the country have been named in Stokes honor including: [[Howard University]]'s medical library, the [[Cleveland Public Library]]'s main building expansion, and the [[GCRTA]]'s Windermere station [[Louis Stokes Station at Windermere]]. The greater Cleveland area Veteran's hospital was renamed the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Building 50 on the [[National Institutes of Health campus|campus]] of the [[National Institutes of Health]] is named the Louis Stokes Laboratories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2001/od-14.htm|title=New Laboratory Building in Honor of Louis Stokes|access-date=August 20, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010627051509/http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2001/od-14.htm|archive-date=June 27, 2001}}</ref>

Congressman Stokes' alma mater, Case Western Reserve University, offers the Louis Stokes Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship worth full tuition to an incoming first-year or transfer undergraduate student. It is intended to help economically and educationally disadvantaged students attain an education at the school.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://go.case.edu/register/?id=5959eeb6-4ee2-43a1-8f5e-cce3a8bdc88b|title=Louis Stokes Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship|website=case.edu|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref>

==Autobiography==
* Louis Stokes with David Chanoff (2016): The Gentleman from Ohio. (Foreword by Congressman John Lewis). Trillium Books, The Ohio State University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8142-1312-4}}

==See also==
{{commons category}}
*[[List of African-American United States representatives]]
*[[List of Cleveland–Marshall College of Law alumni]]
*[[List of members of the House Un-American Activities Committee]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://history.house.gov/People/Detail/22311?current_search_qs=%3FTerm%3D%26SearchIn%3DFirstName%26ShowNonMember%3Dtrue%26ShowNonMember%3Dfalse%26Office%3D%26Leadership%3D%26State%3D%26Party%3D%26ContinentalCongress%3Dfalse%26BlackAmericansInCongress%3Dtrue%26BlackAmericansInCongress%3Dfalse%26WomenInCongress%3Dfalse%26HispanicAmericansInCongress%3Dfalse%26CongressNumber%3D98%26PreviousSearch%3D%252cFirstName%252c%252c%252c%252c%252cFalse%252cTrue%252cFalse%252c98%252cLastName%26CurrentPage%3D1%26SortOrder%3DLastName%26ResultType%3DGrid%26Command%3D2#assignments History.house.gov]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170620165804/http://stokescleveland.org/ Western Reserve Historical Society's website about the lives of Louis and Carl Stokes]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110727074323/http://collections.mdch.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=%2Fsaac&CISOPTR=25701&REC=1 Collections]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140728202905/http://worldchannel.org/programs/episode/stokes-american-dream/ ''Stokes: An American Dream''] on [[PBS]]'s [[World (TV channel)|World channel]]
*{{cite web |title=Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) |publisher=National Science Foundation |url=https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20590/nsf20590.htm}} The National Science Foundation has funded "Louis Stokes Alliances" to support post-secondary education of minority students.
*{{C-SPAN|397}}
*{{Find a Grave|150938512}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Offices and distinctions
| list1 =
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Charles Vanik]]}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Member of the [[List of United States Representatives from Ohio|U.S. House of Representatives]]}}<br />from [[Ohio's 21st congressional district]]|years=1969–1993}}
{{s-non|reason=Constituency abolished}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Charles Diggs]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]]|years=1972–1974}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Charles Rangel]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Henry B. González]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of [[United States House Select Committee on Assassinations|House Assassinations Committee]]|years=1977–1979}}
{{s-non|reason=Position abolished}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Charles Edward Bennett|Charles Bennett]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of [[United States House Committee on Ethics|House Ethics Committee]]|years=1981–1985}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Julian C. Dixon]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Lee H. Hamilton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of [[United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|House Intelligence Committee]]|years=1987–1989}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Anthony Beilenson]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Julian C. Dixon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of [[United States House Committee on Ethics|House Ethics Committee]]|years=1991–1993}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jim McDermott]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Dennis E. Eckart]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States Representatives from Ohio|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br />from [[Ohio's 11th congressional district]]|years=1993–1999}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Stephanie Tubbs Jones]]}}
{{s-end}}
}}

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{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 91st–105th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[United States congressional delegations from Ohio|Ohio]]}}
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[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American legislators]]
[[Category:African-American members of the United States House of Representatives]]
[[Category:African-American United States Army personnel]]
[[Category:African-American people in Ohio politics]]
[[Category:American Freemasons]]
[[Category:American Prince Hall Freemasons]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Case Western Reserve University alumni]]
[[Category:Cleveland State University College of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Ohio]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Cleveland]]
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[[Category:Candidates in the 1992 United States presidential election]]
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