Ed Burke
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Edward M. Burke (born December 29, 1943) is alderman of the 14th Ward[1] in Chicago. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 1969, is the longest-serving Chicago alderman, and represents part of the city's Southwest Side.
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[edit] Early life
Burke is a lifetime resident of Chicago. Burke's father, Joseph P. Burke, was a Cook County Sheriff's policeman[2] who worked as a court bailiff. Joseph Burke served as Committeeman from the 14 ward (a local Democratic party post), and was elected Alderman from the 14th ward on November 2, 1953.[3]
[edit] Education
Burke attended high school at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and then went on to DePaul University where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees. Burke attended DePaul University College of Law while working as a police officer from 1965 to 1968. Burke graduated from the DePaul University College of Law in 1968 and was admitted to the Illinois bar in November, 1968.[4]
[edit] Election
Burke succeeded his father as both Democratic Committeeman and as Alderman from the 14th ward.
Joseph Burke died of cancer[2] in office May 11, 1968.[5] The 25-year-old Edward Burke took leave of his job as a City policeman to replace his father as Democratic committeeman.[6] Burke was elected Democratic Committeeman in the 14th ward in 1968 and retains that position. Burke's first election was his toughest. In a secret vote of 65 precinct captains, Burke won his father's committeeman's seat (and assurance of party slating for alderman) over a veteran precinct captain by 3 1/2 votes.[2]
A special election was called for March 11, 1969, to fill the 14th ward alderman's seat, as well as several City Council seats vacant for various reasons, mostly Aldermen elected to judgeships and other offices in November, 1968.[6] The 14th Ward Democrats slated their committeeman and their former alderman's son.[7] Burke faced 6 opponents.[4]
[edit] Military service
Burke applied for and was granted draft deferment as a full-time student while a law student at DePaul. Burke graduated and married his wife, Anne Marie, in 1968. After his marriage and the death of his father, Burke applied for and was granted a hardship deferment (3-A), claiming that he was the sole support of his wife, mother, and two younger brothers, Daniel and Joseph.
The Illinois selected service board of appeals voted 4 to 0 to reclassify Burke as 1-A ("Available for unrestricted military service") on June 11, 1969.[8] At the same time, Burke was accepted into a Chicago-based United States Army Reserve unit, the 363rd civil affairs group, as a private. The 118-man unit was based at 2025 E 71st St in Chicago's southeast side. The unit was commanded by a friend, Colonel Eugene F. Welter, an attorney with offices at 33 N LaSalle St, in downtown Chicago.[9] On August 27, 1969 an officer from the army's inspector general division in Washington came to the north suburban army post Fort Sheridan to inspect documents and interview witnesses to investigate whether Burke was improperly given special consideration and allowed to enroll ahead of thousands of men who had been waiting for as long as three years.[10]
[edit] Aldermanic career
Burke has been alderman for more than three decades, first elected in 1969. He succeeded his late father in the position. He was an unsuccessful candidate for State's Attorney against Richard M. Daley (the current Mayor) in 1980. At the time Burke was aligned with Daley's rival, Mayor Jane Byrne. He was, along with Alderman and Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Edward Vrdolyak a leader of the "29", a faction of white, machine alderman who controlled the City Council and were in constant conflict with the minorities and white liberals known as the "21" who supported Mayor Harold Washington from 1983-1986, a period referred to as the Council Wars. Some wags referred to Vrydolyak and Burke as "Fast Eddie" and "Slow Eddie."
As alderman, he is an advocate for cutting waste from city government without raising taxes. To accomplish this he has encouraged the hiring of outside experts to monitor the city’s fiscal policies, proposed privatization of some city services, and conducting efficiency studies of city departments.[citation needed]
Burke has served for many years as the powerful Chairman of the Committee of Finance. Additionally, he serves on Aviation; Budget and Government Operation; Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities; and Zoning.
Currently, Burke is a member of the Chicago Planning Commission and Economic Development Commission.
[edit] Personal life
Burke is a part-time alderman. He is a principal in a successful downtown Chicago law firm which specializes in property tax appeals.[11]
Burke's wife Anne was installed as an Illinois Supreme Court Justice on July 4, 2006 and has served as an Illinois Appellate Court Justice.
Their adult children are Jennifer, Edward, and Sarah; their other adult son son Emmett was killed in a very tragic snowmobiling accident in 2004. In February 1996, the Burkes became foster parents to a child born to a woman suffering drug addiction. The child's natural mother, Tina Olison, sued to regain custody of her child several times before the Illinois State Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Burkes in 2001.[12]
Burke has compiled numerous historical exhibits that hang on the building's walls. He also co-authored the book, Inside the Wigwam: Chicago Presidential Conventions 1860-1996. [13]. Most recently he has co-authored with Thomas O'Gorman, "End of Watch" a book which details the lives and tragedies of all the policemen and women who have died in the line of duty.
Burke enjoys drafting resolutions which memorialize the deaths of prominent Americans and Chicagoans as well as honoring special visitors to Chicago. Recently he drafted a resolution making Theodore 'Ted' Sorensen an honorary citizen of Chicago on the occasion of Sorensen's visit to Chicago on May 23, 2007, which was the 50th anniversary of John Kennedy's 1957 speech to the Democratic Party of Cook County. The irony was not lost on Mayor Richard M. Daley who enthusiastically supported the resolution (passed unanimously by the Chicago City Council) and whose father, Richard J. Daley was Democratic Party Chair in 1957.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Chicago ward map
- ^ a b c Fremon, David (1988). Chicago Politics Ward by Ward. Indiana University Press, 102. ISBN 0253313449.
- ^ "Burke, New Alderman, Resigns Post as Bailif", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1953-11-11, p. B12.
- ^ a b Schreiber, Edward. "7 Candidates in 14th Ward Race Tuesday", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1969-03-05, p. A6.
- ^ "ALD. J. BURKE IS HONORED BY CITY COUNCIL", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1968-05-15, p. A4.
- ^ a b "Democrats Move Fast to Fill Five Empty Seats in Council", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1968-11-09, p. 5.
- ^ "29 CANDIDATES ENTER RACES IN SIX WARDS: Democrats Will Face Stiff Competition", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1969-01-07, p. 5.
- ^ "Draft Board Reclassifies Burke as 1-A", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1969-06-14, p. N2.
- ^ "Ald. Ed Burke Joins Reserve, Avoids Draft; Enters Unit Headed by Lawyer Friend", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1969-07-25, p. 16.
- ^ "Probe Begins in Draft Case of Ald. Burke", Chicago Daily Tribune, 1969-08-28, p. C26.
- ^ Klafter and Burke.
- ^ Sneed, Michael. "The "Baby T" case is over", Chicago Sun-Times, 2001-10-07.
- ^ Curry, Jessica. "The Private Life of Ed Burke, 2005 Chicago Life interview".
[edit] External links
- Burke's Page at Chicago City Clerk's site
- Klafter and Burke, Burke's law firm.
- Chicago City Council - Committee on Finance website
- Interview with Burke on End of Watch
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