William A. Redmond Memoir - Illinois Digital Archives

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ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES Martin B. Lohmann Memoir, 1 vol. (1980) Bernice T. Van Der Vries Memoir, 3 vols. (1980) Walter J. Reum Memoir, 2 vols. (1980) Thomas A. McGloon Memoir, 2 vols. (1981) John W. Fribley Memoir, 2 vols. (1981) Charles W. Clabaugh Memoir, 2 vols. (1982) Cecil A. Partee Memoir, 2 vols. (1982) Elbert S. Smith Memoir, 2 vols, (1982) Frances L. Dawson Memoir, 2 vols. (1982) Robert W. McCarthy Memoir, 2 vols. (1983) John C. Parkhurst Memoir, 2 vols. (1984) Corneal A. pavis Memoir, 2 vols. (1984) Cumulative Index, 1980-1984 Edward P. Saltiel Memoir, 1 vol. (1985) William A. Redmond Memoir - Archives/ Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS
Preface This oral history of William A. Redmond's service in the Illinois House of Representatives is a product of the Illinois Legislative Research Unit's General Assembly Oral History Program. The oral history technique adds a distinctive new dimension to the unit's statu- tory responsibility for performing research and collecting information concerning the govern- ment of the state. William A. Redmond was born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 25, 1908. The story of his youth exemplifies near-West Side Chicago life in the early part of the 20th Century. His discussion of his childhood career as a photography model is most interesting. After completing an engineering degree at Marquette University, he attained his law degree at Northwestern University in 1934. After brief experience with a southern Illinois law firm he returned to Chicago to join the law firm of Loesch, Scofield, Loesch and Burke. He continued with that firm, primarily representing the Pennsylvania Railroad in injury cases, until enlistment in the navy duqing World War 11. During the period 1942 to 1945, he served first in naval intelligence and then as a naval security officer. Shortly after enlistment, he married Rita Riordan. Returning to his law career after the war, Mr. Redmond established a private law pracltice first in Bensan then in Bensenville. Having become a confirmed Democrat through depres- sion years experience, he espoused the cause of the Democrats in Du Page County. His first venture for office was an unsuccessful bid in 1948 for stab's attorney; his second, also unsuccessful, a bid in 1950 for county judge. He found his niche in the predominantly Republican county when he ran for the Illinois House of Representatives in 1958 and continued to hold this seat until his retirement in 1983. Mr. Redmond's major legislative achievements were in the fields of conservation, mass tran- sit, education and crime and corrections. These were attained primarily before his suoces- sion to the house speakership in 1971. His discussion of his experiences as Speaker for terms is most informative. He contiaued his public service as a member of the oner Review Board after his retirement from the house in 1975. The service bears out his continuing concern in the crime and corrections field. Readers of this oral history should bear in mind that it is a word. Its informal, conversational style represents a deliberate attempt to encourage candor and to tap the narrator's memory. However, persons interested in listening to the tapes should understand that editorial considerations produced a text that differs somewhat from the original recordings. Both the recordings and this transcript should be regarded as a primary historical source, as no effort was made to correct or challenge the narrator. William A. Redmond Memoir - Archives/ Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS
Page 1 and 2: University of Illinois at Springfie
Page 3: JOINT COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE SUPP
Page 7 and 8: Table of Contents Preface .........
Page 9 and 10: My mother was a beautiful woman, ag
Page 11 and 12: She was very kindly and - you know
Page 13 and 14: Q: Grand Avenue. A: The church wher
Page 15 and 16: to their farm. It was at Central an
Page 17 and 18: un pretty good, I tied the city rec
Page 19 and 20: A: Yes, a lot of them. Every block
Page 21 and 22: A: Oh yes. Oh yes. Most of my team
Page 23 and 24: of school the newspapers were out t
Page 25 and 26: Q: On your letter delivery were you
Page 27 and 28: I guess it was - 'cause I didn't a
Page 29 and 30: Hollywood and before New York got t
Page 31 and 32: elected Speaker. She said that they
Page 33 and 34: when you are a little kid. Whatever
Page 35 and 36: Q: What was his condition? A: I rea
Page 37 and 38: Q: Are we talking about the 1950's
Page 39 and 40: Q: (pause) We haven't talked much a
Page 41 and 42: 34 McCormick, and she was running a
Page 43 and 44: Democratic convention came to Chica
Page 45 and 46: Q: Did you participate in any campa
Page 47 and 48: A: Paul Douglas and Adlai Stevenson
Page 49 and 50: had an area that was about two bloc
Page 51 and 52: was a captain and I think he came o
Page 53 and 54: Democrats. So they've had some poli
Page 55 and 56:
And I'm not saying everything Democ
Page 57 and 58:
A: Injury cases. Sometimes injured
Page 59 and 60:
So there was some exciting times. I
Page 61 and 62:
Russians might give it to the Germa
Page 63 and 64:
I would like to say that every step
Page 65 and 66:
A: He wasn't really that well known
Page 67 and 68:
Q: Why is that? A: Well you can do
Page 69 and 70:
John Erlenborn who is a congressman
Page 71 and 72:
would be what is comparable to cons
Page 73 and 74:
Q: (pause) Would you regard him at
Page 75 and 76:
municipality. And of course Mayor B
Page 77 and 78:
Q: Have you heard other party leade
Page 79 and 80:
Q: Yes. A: No, I - it wasn't my bur
Page 81 and 82:
every Republican candidate for ever
Page 83 and 84:
a Democrat. Lyle at one time was a
Page 85 and 86:
you're going to send it out by firs
Page 87 and 88:
it may very well be that there's mo
Page 89 and 90:
I - Q: (pause) Did that experience
Page 91 and 92:
season. They don't do that anymore.
Page 93 and 94:
Q: Now this caucus of Cook County D
Page 95 and 96:
Q: That very night? A: Oh no, no, n
Page 97 and 98:
Q: Was there a lot of fear among De
Page 99 and 100:
A: I couldn't tell you, I don't kno
Page 101 and 102:
the exchange was wasn't satisfactor
Page 103 and 104:
Q: (pause) Were there any things th
Page 105 and 106:
A: That wouldn't be, that, not so m
Page 107 and 108:
A: That was something though for a
Page 109 and 110:
a legal entity that was in a positi
Page 111 and 112:
time. But I don't remember exactly
Page 113 and 114:
jobs and taking them away from the
Page 115 and 116:
Q: Superintendent of public instruc
Page 117 and 118:
it out. I thought that was one adva
Page 119 and 120:
Q: (pause) One of the bills that yo
Page 121 and 122:
A: Well I think we talked about Sal
Page 123 and 124:
particularly before I got into the
Page 125 and 126:
A: Why of course during the campaig
Page 127 and 128:
if you have a lot of money that som
Page 129 and 130:
Now you have the Chicago system. Do
Page 131 and 132:
was a business manager for our loca
Page 133 and 134:
furnish a market or give somebody a
Page 135 and 136:
It all depends on where you come fr
Page 137 and 138:
A: And they don't ever pay any atte
Page 139 and 140:
course what they did is they went i
Page 141 and 142:
A: What do you mean? For flood cont
Page 143 and 144:
A: Clabaugh? Q: It could be Clabaug
Page 145 and 146:
Somewhere along the line John Bowan
Page 147 and 148:
I frankly think it's unnecessary. I
Page 149 and 150:
The 5 percent limitation on indebte
Page 151 and 152:
I would be a little bit more accura
Page 153 and 154:
of income tax. This was before the
Page 155 and 156:
get away from home. And I think the
Page 157 and 158:
A: Pray that Mikva wouldn't show up
Page 159 and 160:
it might have hurt him politically.
Page 161 and 162:
A: Not until - not in this county,
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