Robert H. Holloway Explained

Robert H. Holloway
Birth Date:4 May 1918
Birth Place:Emmet, Arkansas
Death Place:Chicago
State House:Illinois
District:29th
Predecessor:Elwood Graham
Successor:Charles E. Gaines
Party:Republican
Education:

Robert H. Holloway (May 4, 1918 – November 21, 2005) was a lawyer and state legislator in Illinois. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1972 and served one term.

Early life and education

Robert H. Holloway was born in Emmet, Arkansas, on May 4, 1918.[1] Brought to Chicago at the age of four, he attended James McCosh Elementary and Englewood High School.[2]

He was a soldier during World War II, completing Officer Candidates School, achieving the rank of Captain, and serving in North Africa as the commander of a Port Battalion and Recreation Facility.

Holloway earned a law degree from Loyola in 1949.[1] [3]

Career

Holloway had his own law firm in Chicago.[4] After nine years in private practice, he was appointed to the state's attorneys office, where he served as an Assistant State's Attorney from 1957 to 1967.[5] He ran for clerk of the Illinois appellate court in 1962,[6] but lost to incumbent Leslie Beck.[7]

Holloway became a 6th Ward Republican committeeman in 1968. He was an assistant to the sheriff of Cook County from 1968–69, and by 1972 he was an assistant Illinois Attorney General.[8]

A Republican, he served in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing District 29 from 1973–1975.[9] He served on the Judiciary I Committee.[10] Although the 29th district was heavily Democratic, he was one of a small number of African American Republicans who were able to win election from such districts prior to the Cutback Amendment, due to an arrangement between the parties under which each party only ran two candidates for each three-member legislative district.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Williams, Erma Brooks . Political Empowerment of Illinois' African-American State Lawmakers from 1877 to 2005 . 2008 . University Press of America . 978-0-7618-4018-3 . en. 13.
  2. News: Chicago Defender . Atty. Holloway Returns To Private Law Practice . 1961-06-03 . 5 . ProQuest . subscription .
  3. Haney . Thomas M. . January 1, 2015 . 90 Years of African American Diversity . Faculty Publications & Other Works . Loyola University Chicago, School of Law.
  4. Web site: Robert H. Holloway Obituary (2005) Chicago Sun-Times . 2022-09-22 . Legacy.com.
  5. News: 1967-02-13 . Woods names aid for state street court . 4 . Chicago Tribune . 2022-10-27.
  6. News: 1962-11-07 . Dirksen wins re-election in close race (cont. from page 1) . 2 . Chicago Tribune . 2022-10-27.
  7. News: 1962-11-08 . Four Incumbent Appellate Court Clerks Re-Elected . 8 . The Daily Register . 2022-10-27.
  8. News: 1972-10-15 . 29th District House . 20 . Chicago Tribune . 2022-10-27.
  9. Web site: Hebel . Jennifer . March 6, 2019 . African American Legislators in Illinois . ilga.gov.
  10. Book: Illinois Blue Book, 1973-1974 . 55 . September 1974 . Illinois Digital Archive.