Harold Washington

            Harold Washington was a man who believed that everyone should be treated fairly no matter what the persons ethnic background was or whether they were male or female. Throughout his life he pushed to make sure that some how he could make a difference in his community. Washington was born on April 15th, 1922 to Roy and Bertha Washington. He was born and raised in the city of Chicago at Cook County Hospital. At the young age of four his father always encouraged him to read every night and to appreciate education because it would pay off in his future. In 1926 his mother left the family leaving behind 4 kids and a husband to raise the children on his own. Washington's father was determined to raise the family while he went to Law School at night and was a full time worker at the Union Stockyard. Even though Washington was raised without a mother he was still able to become very successful in life.
             Washington went to a local public school where he graduated and then moved on to DuSable High school. While in High School he had a job at the Wilson and Company working in the freezer department with the meat packers. In February of 1943 dropped out of High School and joined the Army, where he earned his high school equivalency diploma. He was Part of the 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion and was First Sergeant. While he was First Sergeant his unit received the Meritorious Service Award. After his discharge in 1946, he enrolled at Roosevelt College in Chicago. Washington started his leadership roles by becoming president of his class, which gave him a head start on the path of becoming a leader and making changes. After graduating he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps for six months . He looked up to his father and felt he should give Law School a try, and he did. In 1952 he graduated from Northwestern University Law School where there were only a few African Amercian students enrolled.