Stokes, Carl, 1927-1996

Carl Burton Stokes (June 21, 1927 – April 3, 1996) was an American lawyer, jurist, television personality, politician, and diplomat. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, Ohio.

Born and raised in Cleveland, he dropped out of high school to work at Thompson Products, joining the U.S. Army at age 18. After his discharge in 1946, Stokes returned to Cleveland and earned his high school diploma in 1947. He then attended several colleges before earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954. Stokes graduated from Cleveland-Marshall Law School in 1956 and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1957. For 4 years he served as assistant prosecutor for Cuyahoga County and became partner in the law firm of Stokes, Stokes, Character, and Terry, continuing that practice into his political career. Elected the first black Democrat to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1962, he served 3 terms; running as an independent, he narrowly lost a 1965 bid for mayor of Cleveland. Undaunted, in 1967, Stokes again sought election as Cleveland's mayor, winning the Democratic primary and defeating Seth Chase Taft, grandson of former President William Howard Taft, in the general election.

Stokes was one of the first African Americans to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city. His greatest accomplishment as mayor was opening up city positions to African Americans and women. He also governed Cleveland in a very tumultuous era. Race riots, such as the Glenville Shootout, occurred during his administration. Financial difficulties also began to arise for the city, especially due to the movement of white residents and various businesses to the suburbs. Stokes was reelected in 1969, but did not run in 1971. As mayor, Stokes opened city hall jobs to blacks and women. He was known as a strong administrator and reformer, and is remembered for his vision and motivation. Stokes feuded with City Council and the Police Department for much of his tenure. He also initiated Cleveland: Now!, a public and private funding program aimed at the revitalization of Cleveland neighborhoods.

After his mayoral administration, Stokes gave lectures to colleges around the country. In 1972, he became the first black anchorman in New York City after securing a job with WNBC-TV. While at WNBC New York, Stokes won a New York State Regional Emmy for excellence in craft, for a piece about the opening of the Paul Robeson play, starring James Earl Jones on Broadway. After accusing NBC of failing to promote him to a national brief, he returned to Cleveland in 1980 and took up a stint with United Auto Workers, serving as general legal counsel. Stokes became a municipal judge in Cleveland in 1983. Subsequently, President Bill Clinton appointed him U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles in 1994. Stokes was the first African American to have served in all three branches of the government.

Diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus while serving as Ambassador, Stokes resigned his position and returned to Cleveland, dying there. He was buried at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland.