Elwood Graham

{{Short description|American politician (1902–1978)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Elwood Graham | image = File:Elwood Graham 1958.jpg | alt = Grainy backlit formal photograph of a man wearing glasses in a suit and tie | birth_date = {{birth date|1902|4|10}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age |1978|10|9 |1902|4|10 |mf=yes}} | death_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | state_house = Illinois | district = 22nd, 29th | term_start = January 1957 | term_end = January 1965 | term_start2 = January 1967 | term_end2 = January 1973 | predecessor = | successor2 = Robert H. Holloway | party = Republican | education = | spouse = }} '''Elwood Graham''' (April 10, 1902 – October 9, 1978) was a state legislator in Illinois.<ref name = "williams-22">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ys-zrcqYBEC&dq=elwood+graham+1956&pg=PA22 | page = 22 | isbn = 9780761840183 | title=Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005 | year=2008 | publisher=University Press of America }}</ref> He served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1957 to 1965 and again from 1967 to 1973.<ref name="williams-22"/> He was a Republican.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w98gAQAAMAAJ&q=elwood+graham+1956 | title=Reports | year=1956 | publisher=Kenwood-Ellis Community Center }}</ref>

In 1964, due to a failure of the General Assembly to agree on a redistricting plan, every House representative was elected at-large statewide, in what became known as the bedsheet ballot election. Each party slated 118 candidates; every Democratic candidate won but only half of the Republicans did. As a result, 35 Republican incumbents lost their seats, and Graham was among them.<ref>{{Cite news | via = Newspapers.com | url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-35-in-gop-lose-state/126261157/ |title = 35 in G.O.P. Lose State House Seats | author-first = George | author-last = Tagge | newspaper = Chicago Tribune | date = 1964-12-04 }}</ref> Graham rejoined the legislature after the 1966 election and remained a member, now from the redrawn 29th district, until the 1972 election, in which he was unseated by Robert H. Holloway.

Graham was one of three African American Republicans elected to the 77th Illinois General Assembly in 1970, but the other two died during 1972. When the legislature was called into special session by Governor Ogilvie in November 1972, it was the first time since Edward D. Green in 1912 that there had been only one African American Republican in the General Assembly.<ref>{{Cite news | author-last = Osby | author-first = Simeon B. | title = 'Lone' GOP role for Rep. Graham | newspaper = Chicago Defender | date = 1972-11-06 | page = 2 |id={{ProQuest|494369231}} | url-access = subscription | url = https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/lone-gop-role-rep-graham/docview/494369231/se-2 }}</ref>

Graham was born on April 10, 1902, in Chicago, where he lived throughout his life.<ref>{{Cite book | title = Illinois Blue Book, 1957–1958 | url = http://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/bb/id/31800 | via = Illinois Digital Archive | page = 246 | chapter = Twenty-second District }}</ref> He died on October 9, 1978, at his sister's house in Chicago.<ref name="cmn-obit">{{Cite news | publisher = Cook County Clerk | via = Ancestry.com | work = Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908–1988 | year = 2008 | title = Elwood Graham}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | newspaper = Chicago Metro News | title = Republican Elwood Graham Is Dead | date = 1978-10-14 | via = GenealogyBank | author-first = Charles B., Sr. | author-last = Armstrong | url = https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings//hyxdxcvwadcncimpdbmomwwebrwvbafz_wma-gateway011_1686542166012 }}</ref> The publisher of the ''Chicago Metro News'' remembered him as "a fighter for two party representation".<ref name="cmn-obit"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Elwood}} Category:1902 births Category:1978 deaths Category:African-American state legislators in Illinois Category:Politicians from Chicago Category:Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Category:20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly Category:20th-century African-American politicians