Talk Of Leon Despres Monument In Hyde Park Begins

CHICAGO, IL — Championing the fight against segregation, unfair housing practices and patronage while promoting gender and racial equality and architectural preservation were not common attributes of Chicago aldermen during the 20th century. Especially during the mayoral years of Richard J. Daley.

But those traits, and more, describe the force that Leon Despres, the 5th Ward representative from 1955 until 1975, was. Despres was often called the “voice of reason” on the Chicago City Council, although his voice was often silenced by the muting of his microphone by Daley and the machine leader’s many elected allies during numerous meetings.

He was a progressive anti-Daley advocate for fairness who would not back down on his stances, even if, as often the case, he was on the short side of a 49-1 vote.

“I’ve maintained that Len Despres was the best alderman in the history of Chicago,” said Dick Simpson, a political science professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, former colleague of Depres’ on the City Council and author of “The Good Fight: Life Lessons from a Chicago Progressive.”

While his name was spelled L-E-O-N, Despres was called "Len" by everyone who knew him.

“He served for 20 years, the same time frame as Daley, and always provided needed opposition," Simpson said. "He was the conscience of the City Council.”

Despres lived a grand life of 101 years. All but his first three were in the Hyde Park neighborhood, where he was most beloved.

“There should be some type of remembrance,” said Paul Wertheimer, a native Hyde Parker who has since moved to the West Coast. “He was a great city alderman who embodied Hyde Park."

Outside of one preservation award with the Hyde Park Historical Society named in memory of him and his wife, Marian, there isn’t any honor bestowed upon Despres. One could walk, or as Despres would have it bicycle, through every street in the neighborhood today without having one reminder of the man who embodied Hyde Park for nearly a century.

“Tolerance is part of the culture of Hyde Park, and he embodied the kind of compassion, tolerance and intellectualism that are some of the best attributes of Hyde Park," Wertheimer said. "He’s not underappreciated, but I think we forgot to enshrine what he meant to this neighborhood.”

But the lack of a Despres monument in Hyde Park could, and should, change.

Preliminary talks have begun among current and former Hyde Park residents about different ways to bring a Leon Despres monument to the neighborhood. The long overdue time has come, Hyde Parkers say.

“He’s an absolute treasure,” one neighborhood resident said in response to a Hyde Park Patch Facebook question asking readers if there should be a more prominent monument in the neighborhood dedicated to Despres.

Wertheimer is one of several people connected to Hyde Park to show interest and enthusiasm in contributing to an effort to create a monument to Despres in the neighborhood.

“He was my hero,” another wrote in another post made about Despres a few years ago in the ‘Hyde Park Classics’ Facebook group. “He would talk to anyone, anytime… He remained a true champion of social justice until the day he died.”

Despres remained brilliant into his second century on Earth. After repeatedly holding off Daley-endorsed challengers in the 5th Ward until he resigned from the City Council in 1975, Despres was later a member of the city’s Plan Commission and was the City Council parliamentarian under post-Daley anti-machine mayors Jane Byrne (the first female mayor of Chicago) and Harold Washington (the first African-American mayor of the city).

Robert Despres, one of Despres’ two children, remembers the passion his father had as a 101-year-old 2009. That year, Chicago was a finalist to land the 2016 Summer Olympics, something Despres wanted no part of if it meant compromising historic landmarks.

“He told me that he would boycott the Olympics,” Robert Despres said, noting that his father would have been 108 years old had he lived that long.

Architectural preservation was something Despres was ultra-passionate about. He described in his memoir, “Challenging the Daley: A Chicago Alderman’s Memoir,” how he led the effort to save the Robie House from the wrecking ball. Today, the historic place remains as one of the most popular locations in the neighborhood.

The younger Despres is behind the idea of a monument in Hyde Park for his father, although he says it should not be done for any “commercial gain” because dad would not have wanted it if that were to be the case.

“He was always ahead of his time,” said Matthew Bigongiari, a distant relative of Despres. Despres’ sister was a popular piano teacher in the neighborhood and taught Bigongiari's mother.

“Hyde Park has always been progressive and very liberal. Len was a big part of that.”

Initial ideas for the monument have surfaced, but the process is still in its infancy.

Bigongiari says a statue of Despres on a bicycle somewhere in the neighborhood would be ideal since he would ride his bicycle everywhere. But if that’s not possible, a plaque or smaller monument would be a good addition to the neighborhood as well.

There’s a plaque in Hyde Park marking the spot where former President Barack Obama first kissed his wife, Michelle. Perhaps Obama would be in favor of a nod to Despres in the neighborhood loved by both icons.

"With an incisive mind, rapier wit and unstinting courage, he waged legendary battles against the corruption and discrimination that blighted our city," then-President Obama was quoted as saying in the Chicago Tribune after Despres died in 2009.

His statement referred to Despres as “a towering giant in Chicago history.” Powerful words from someone who is undoubtedly a towering giant in world history.

Keeping the parks and lakefront open were some of the other ideals Despres always defended. Many of his ideas were often initially rejected, only to be re-submitted by Daley backers so the machine could take credit.

“My father was a trained speaker, so when Daley cut off his microphone he was still able to be heard because of how he would project his voice.” Robert Despres said.

“Fairness in housing, planning and zoning and equal rights for all. That’s what my father stood for."

Anyone interested in discussing a Leon Despres monument or joining a committee to get the project going should contact Tim Moran, Hyde Park Patch Editor, at tim.moran@patch.com or 219-229-7648.

Top photo via Chicago History Museum