Cecil A. Partee Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield
Cecil A. Partee Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield Cecil A. Partee Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield
8 2 A: It was a state office but located in Chicago. Q: Oh, I see, yes. Was the Illinois Building operating at that time? A: 160 North LaSalle. Q: Yes. A: I assume it was, but I wasn't in it at that time, Q: And what was The Assembly, you say? Where did it meet? A: At various places. We used to meet at an insurance company, at their auditorium, of an insurance company. It was pretty social, a fairly social club . Q: Yes. Were these regul.ar monthly meetings? A: T don't remember meeting that often. Maybe two or three times a year and they would have a big Christmas dance. I remember that was the big function, the Christmas dance. Q: Did they bring in speakers? A: No, that wasn't that kind 05 a club. No. Q: Was there a particular rype of place where you made more speeches than others? A: Oh, I suppose I've made more speeches in ward headquarters than in other pl.aces. And in churches. That would, principally, be the most, during my youth--talking about formative days, now? Q: Yes. A: Yes. Yes, at churches and ward headquarters wauld be principally the places where I would speak. Q: And your audience at ward headquarters, was that predominently the precinct captains and that sort of thing? A: Well, in most of the meetings, yes, but then we wauld have rallies. SESSION 4, TAPE 4, SIDE 2 A: In the rallies, I would be talking to a pretty diverse group of people. Q: Were these rallies on special occasions?
A: Generally just before an election. Q: So it was a rally in support of the election? A: Yes. Q: Let's see, now. We touched on your activities in the 1948 election. Let's see, the next one would have been an off year election. Q: In 1950, yes. A: But that would be principally for local candidates, you see. Q: Do you remember any specific condidates that you were very active in supporting at that time? A: No. No, I do not, because we were supportive of an entire ticket. It is very rare that we ever give any particular emphasis to any one candidate except if he had a special problem. We voted for the Democratic ticket, to support the entire ticket. The message was, "Vote Democratic, pull the lever for the whole ticket." That's the way we did it. And that was, of course, the strength of this organization. I mean this whole Chicago organization supporting the entire ticket. Q: And you had no real problem with that? The preclnct was headed in that direction by that time? A: Oh, yes. You would always have somebody that wanted, you know, ta take care of one person or this, that and the other, or pick a guy because he was a Methodist or because he was a Rotarian or because he was a Lion ar something, Yo11 know. But basically and fundamentally, we carried the whole ticket. It was a party operation. Q: Were you active at the ward level in the media, like the geefender or the Tribune and that sort of thing? Did you approach them actively for support or provide information? A: Well, are you now talking about after T becape a legislator? Tn that period ? Q: No, sir, still in that early period. A: Not in that period, no. Q: So from the ward, then . . . A: You would get an article when you had an affair, in order ta tell wha talked about, that kind of thing, but generally, no.
- Page 45 and 46: COURTESV OF BESSIE D. IVY CECIL PAR
- Page 47 and 48: CORNEAL DAVIS (L) AND CEClL PARTEE.
- Page 49 and 50: A: Beautiful. I stayed in the dormi
- Page 51 and 52: A: I didn't know any of them until
- Page 53 and 54: A: Well, just like going out for th
- Page 55 and 56: 4 1 SESSION 3, TAPE 3, SIDE 1 Q: I
- Page 57 and 58: yourself and so forth. Whereas, in
- Page 59 and 60: A: Yes, I remember a fellow by the
- Page 61 and 62: six inches, into my leg. And just m
- Page 63 and 64: Q: And you're still in touch with t
- Page 65 and 66: A: But they said, "You can go somew
- Page 67 and 68: Q: How did you get back and forth?
- Page 69 and 70: just on the weekend which was a lot
- Page 71 and 72: A: Well, I was there for about a ye
- Page 73 and 74: old fellow told me that he's from t
- Page 75 and 76: We tried to get a decision between
- Page 77 and 78: 63 Abraham Lincoln Hotel and we wer
- Page 79 and 80: Q: That had already finished? A: No
- Page 81 and 82: legislation, I think one day what I
- Page 83 and 84: A: No, that was about two years bef
- Page 85 and 86: A: Yes. q: Did she continue active
- Page 87 and 88: Q: Was this in replacement of Mr. C
- Page 89 and 90: Filipino or some man may be married
- Page 91 and 92: deal of controversy about them. Q:
- Page 93 and 94: well paying jobs but they had to do
- Page 95: joined other organizations for the
- Page 99 and 100: A: No, I don't think we had opposit
- Page 101 and 102: where they paid you far two years t
- Page 103 and 104: BLACK DEMOCRATS IN THE 77TH ILLINOI
- Page 105 and 106: CECIL PARTEE AT WORK IN THE SENATE
- Page 107 and 108: A: No, it was the Legislative Refer
- Page 109 and 110: Q: Well! (laughter) A: Yes, didn't
- Page 111 and 112: esearch if you needed it? A: Bill I
- Page 113 and 114: started from nothing. Q: Did that o
- Page 115 and 116: A: Well, not specifically as to the
- Page 117 and 118: for that. About 1968, Chicago start
- Page 119 and 120: he was there. We joined him in 1967
- Page 121 and 122: years and for many many years it fa
- Page 123 and 124: of that nature. But other than that
- Page 125 and 126: A: No, I do not. Q: Why were yau co
- Page 127 and 128: the word I seek now is . . . quota
- Page 129 and 130: the 1965 Civil Rights Act at the fe
- Page 131 and 132: matter of fact--with the head of th
- Page 133 and 134: served or rehabilitated as well as
8 2<br />
A: It was a state <strong>of</strong>fice but located in Chicago.<br />
Q: Oh, I see, yes. Was the <strong>Illinois</strong> Building operating at that time?<br />
A: 160 North LaSalle.<br />
Q: Yes.<br />
A: I assume it was, but I wasn't in it at that time,<br />
Q: And what was The Assembly, you say? Where did it meet?<br />
A: At various places. We used to meet at an insurance company, at their<br />
auditorium, <strong>of</strong> an insurance company. It was pretty social, a fairly social<br />
club .<br />
Q: Yes. Were these regul.ar monthly meetings?<br />
A: T don't remember meeting that <strong>of</strong>ten. Maybe two or three times a year and<br />
they would have a big Christmas dance. I remember that was the big function,<br />
the Christmas dance.<br />
Q: Did they bring in speakers?<br />
A: No, that wasn't that kind 05 a club. No.<br />
Q: Was there a particular rype <strong>of</strong> place where you made more speeches than<br />
others?<br />
A: Oh, I suppose I've made more speeches in ward headquarters than in other<br />
pl.aces. And in churches. That would, principally, be the most, during my<br />
youth--talking about formative days, now?<br />
Q: Yes.<br />
A: Yes. Yes, at churches and ward headquarters wauld be principally the<br />
places where I would speak.<br />
Q: And your audience at ward headquarters, was that predominently the precinct<br />
captains and that sort <strong>of</strong> thing?<br />
A: Well, in most <strong>of</strong> the meetings, yes, but then we wauld have rallies.<br />
SESSION 4, TAPE 4, SIDE 2<br />
A: In the rallies, I would be talking to a pretty diverse group <strong>of</strong> people.<br />
Q: Were these rallies on special occasions?
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