Louis Stokes




Louis Stokes Senator, Attorney Born: February 23, 1925, Cleveland, Ohio High School: Central High School, Cleveland College: Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve Univ) Born in Cleveland, Stokes and his brother Carl B. Stokes, lived in one of the first federally funded housing projects the Outhwaite Homes and was educated in the Cleveland Public Schools. Following three years of service from 1943 to 1946 in the United States Army, he returned to Cleveland and attended Western Reserve University. After earning his Doctor of Laws Degree from Cleveland State University’s law school, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Stokes began practicing law in Cleveland in 1953 and was one of the founders of Stokes, Character, Terry, Perry, Whitehead, Young and Davidson law firm. Stokes participated in three cases in the United States Supreme Court, including arguing the seminal "stop and frisk" Terry v. Ohio case in 1968. On November 6, 1968, Mr. Stokes was elected to Congress, representing the 21st District on Cleveland's East Side, and became the first African American member of Congress from the State of Ohio. He served fifteen consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representative, ranking 11th overall in House seniority before retiring in 1999. Throughout his congressional tenure, Mr. Stokes played a pivotal role in the quest for civil rights, equality, and social and economic justice. He chaired several important committees, including, most notably, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (charged with investigating the murders of President John F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.), the Ethics Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and the powerful Appropriations Committee. He was the dean of the Ohio Congressional Delegation, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and he served on the house Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran. He was particularly interested in veterans issues and secured funds for health care facilities for veterans in Cleveland. His work in the area of health led to his appointment as a member of the Pepper Commission on Comprehensive Health Care, and he was the founder and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. In 1980, Congressman Stokes was awarded the William L. Dawson Award by his colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus. This coveted and prestigious award was presented to him in recognition of his “unique leadership in the development of legislation.” When Mr. Stokes retired, he became the first African American in the history of the U.S. Congress to retire having completed 30 years in office. Following his service in Congress, he became senior counsel at Squire, Sanders, and Dempsey L.L. P., a global law firm, and Distinguished Visiting professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University. He has served as vice chairman of the PEW Environmental Health Commission at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and was appointed by former Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna E. Shalala as chairman of the Advisory Committee on Minority Health. Through the years, Mr. Stokes has received numerous awards and honors that recognize his national leadership and strong commitment to public service. The National Science Foundation has recognized Mr. Stokes’ contributions toward improving the lives of all Americans and ensuring the full participation of members of minority groups by naming this national initiative in his honor – The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program. He is the recipient of 26 honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities and on July 8, 2003 was honored by Congress with The Congressional Distinguished Service Award.


For more information, contact the Ohio Science and Engineering Alliance at 614.247.7267
Updated 1.16.08