Centennial celebration planned for late Mayor Harold Washington's birthday next week

CHICAGO (CBS) -- With the late Harold Washington's 100th birthday coming up on April 15, the city is planning a centennial celebration next week at the downtown library that bears the name of the city's first Black mayor.

The Harold Washington Library Center will host the celebration titled "HERE'S HAROLD! A Centennial Birthday Celebration Honoring the Life, Spirit, and Remarkable Achievements of Mayor Harold Washington" on April 12 at 5:30 p.m. to honor the former mayor's contributions to the city, according to Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office.

The celebration, hosted in partnership with the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee, will include a reception, music, speakers, and award presentations. Honorary co-chairs of the event include Governor JB Pritzker, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Rainbow PUSH founder Rev. Jesse Jackson.

"Mayor Washington boldly challenged the status quo and courageously demanded equity and justice for communities that had been underserved for generations," said Lightfoot, the city's first Black woman mayor and first openly gay mayor. "It is a true honor to be able to continue this work and walk in his footsteps today. I thank the MHWLC for co-hosting this centennial celebration of his life, as well as their work to keep his legacy alive."

Washington was elected the city's first Black mayor in 1983, defeating incumbent Mayor Jane Byrne and then Cook County State's Attorney and future Mayor Richard M. Daley in the Democratic primary, before beating Republican Bernard Epton in the general election.

In 1983, after a multi-racial coalition of progressives supported his candidacy, Harold Washington was elected the 51st mayor of Chicago and made history as the first African American to hold the position. 

Washington attended DuSable High School, Roosevelt University, Northwestern University, and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. He also served in the military with honors during World War II. He later became a precinct captain, assistant city prosecutor, state representative, state senator, and member of Congress before he was elected mayor.

He was seven months into his second term when he died after sufffering a heart attack in his office at City Hall at the age of 65 on Nov. 25, 1987 – the day before Thanksgiving that year.

He appeared early in the day at a groundbreaking at 46th Street and Woodlawn Avenue, raising a shovel with the local alderman, Tim Evans (4th) and other officials. A news conference had followed the event.  

Afterward, Washington returned to City Hall, where he worked with his secretary and conducted the day's business. Around 10:58 a.m., Washington was talking with his press secretary, Alton Miller, when he collapsed at his desk.

The mayor was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. His heart had stopped and his lungs had ceased to work, and he was unconscious as Miller rode the ambulance with him.

For two hours behind the doors of the hospital emergency room, friends gathered – praying, consoling, and hoping the mayor would pull through the devastating cardiac arrest.

But the doctors – even with their state-of-the-art equipment in one of Chicago's most modern hospitals – could not get the heart to resume pumping. He had been placed on life support in hopes that a "dramatic" form of CPR would reactivate his heart and brain, but that never happened, said attending physician John Sanders.

Ald. David Orr (49th) agreed to serve as interim mayor upon Mayor Washington's death. Then, following a tumultuous and infamous City Council session, Ald. Eugene Sawyer (6th) was chosen to take over as acting mayor – a position he held until losing a bid for a full term to Richard M. Daley in 1989.

Mayor Washington is still regarded as a hero to people across Chicago. Former President Barack Obama also pointed out in his memoir, Dreams from My Father, that he first came to Chicago as a community organizer in the 1980s because he was inspired by Mayor Washington.

CBS 2 Vault: In this CBS 2 special from August 1983, Mayor Washington sits down with CBS 2's Don Craig and Mike Flannery in our old newsroom to talk about his progress, goals, and challenges after 100 days in office. We've posted this special to the web before, but here, you can watch the special in full: