Judge Earl Strayhorn (Finding Aid)

Judge Earl Strayhorn

1918 - 2009

Favorite Time of Year: All Seasons

Interview Length: 173 minutes

Interview Date(s): January 14, 2003

Interview Location(s): 53 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, Illinois

Abstract

Judge Earl Strayhorn details his life as a young boy growing up in Mississippi and soon joining the Great Migration to land in Chicago as a 5 year old boy. He describes his parents lives and the loss of his father to lead poisoning in 1935. Strayhorn describes his South side neighborhood and family life in the 1920s and 1930s. Earl Strayhorn details his childhood years at Doolittle Elementay to Tilden Technical High School. He describes a racist high school instructor who eventually came to head the Chicago Teacher's Union he balances the story with tales of his favorite and most influential teachers. Strayhorn goes on the talk about his years and activities at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Earl Strayhorn details his experience in the military during World War II. In an especially hilarious tale, he describes how a simple dinner invitation in Italy changed his mind about cats forever. Strayhorn also shares contemporaneous memories of life in the barracks, Tuskegee Airmen and Pearl Harbor. Earl Strayhorn discusses his early legal career in Chicago as a state's attorney. He describes how he grew into his position as an advocate for the state then later as a criminal defense attorney. Strayhorn details some of his more memorable cases, for example representing Joe Louis's manager in a tax evasion case. Strayhorn also recalls other associates from those early years who eventually became well known jurists in Chicago, Eugene Pincham, and George Leighton for example. Earl Strayhorn describes the racism he and his law partners faced in finding a space for thier new firm. Strayhorn delights in retelling thier success in oursmarting their racist landlord. Strayhorn describes the influence of U. S. Congressman William Levi Dawson Earl Strayhorn wraps up his account of the most heinous murder case he presided aver as judge. He speaks at length about the death penalty and the recent commutaion of death row sentences by former Illinois governor George Ryan. Strayhorn touches upon some of the challenges he faced as a presiding judge, i.e. sitting in final judgement of people. After 28 years on criminal bench, Strayhorn now serves as the presiding judge and he discusses what some of his duties are in the position. In this short segment, Judge Earl Strayhorn offers some solutions for improving the judiciary and the future of the black community. Strayhorn says he is too young to ponder his legacy, but wants to be remembered "as a person that was fair and just and called them as he saw them, regardless of the outcome."

53 Stories (See Ordered Story Set)