Donald E. Stephens (March 13, 1928 – April 18, 2007) was the first village president (mayor) of Rosemont, Illinois, US. He was also a leading Illinois Republican politician.
Donald E. Stephens | |
|---|---|
| 1st Village President of Rosemont, Illinois | |
| In office 1956 – April 18, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Bradley Stephens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 13, 1928 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | April 18, 2007 (aged 79) Rosemont, Illinois, United States |
| Political party | Republican |
Biography
editStephens, born in Chicago, is believed to have been the longest-serving mayor in the United States at the time of his death. He was in the middle of serving his thirteenth consecutive four-year term as mayor of the suburban Cook County village; he almost exceeded the Illinois record for longest-serving mayor, set by Frank Caliper of Colp. Stephens had served as Rosemont’s mayor since the town’s incorporation in 1956.[1] Prior to that, he had been the president of the homeowner's association of the neighborhood that later became known as Rosemont. During his tenure, Rosemont grew from a tiny community of only 85 to one of Illinois' most politically important communities, with over 4,000 residents as well as the nation's tenth-largest convention center. Stephens also oversaw the construction of the 18,500-seat Allstate Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon) and the Rosemont Theatre.[1] Stephens was also an avid collector of Hummel figurines and established a museum holding his collection in Rosemont. The Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels claims to be the largest public display of Hummel figurines in the world.
Stephens died in Rosemont on April 18, 2007, of complications of stomach cancer.[1] His son Brad succeeded him as mayor.[2]
Controversy
editStephens' political career was dogged by accusations of association with organized crime,[3][4] which led to the only major political defeat in his career: the revocation of a state-issued casino license for Rosemont.[1] In 1983, Stephens was indicted, in separate prosecutions, for tax fraud and bribery, but was acquitted on both charges.[citation needed] Federal authorities investigated him multiple times throughout his career.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Wronski, Richard (April 19, 2007). "Don Stephens: 1928 - 2007". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ McCoppin, Robert. "Rosemont mayor in line to make $260,000 — more than Rahm Emanuel". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ "Longtime Rosemont mayor Donald Stephens dies at 79". The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus. April 19, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ a b Herguth, Robert (26 July 2019). "Rosemont under scrutiny by the FBI, sources tell the Sun-Times". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 17 May 2021.