Alice Palmer (politician) facts for kids

Alice J. Palmer (née Roberts, June 20, 1939 – May 25, 2023) was an American educator and politician. She was known as a long-time activist who worked for social change. Alice Palmer served in the Illinois Senate, which is part of the state government.

She represented the 13th Senate District from June 6, 1991, to January 8, 1997. This district covered different neighborhoods in Chicago. These included Hyde Park, South Shore, and Englewood.

Alice Palmer was first chosen to fill a vacant seat. Later, she won an election in 1992 and served a four-year term. She tried to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995 but was not successful. Later, Barack Obama challenged her signatures for her state senate re-election. He then took her place in the Illinois Senate.

Early Life and Education

Alice Palmer was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her parents were Erskine and Mary Ward Roberts. She finished high school when she was 16 years old.

She started college at Indiana University. After some time away, she returned and earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in English and sociology in 1965. She also earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) in urban studies from Roosevelt University. Later, she received a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in educational administration from Northwestern University.

Career Highlights

Alice Palmer started her teaching career in Indianapolis. She then moved to Chicago to teach at Malcolm X College. While studying for her Ph.D., she helped write two books. She also worked as a tutor.

After that, she became an Associate Dean and Director of African American Student Affairs at Northwestern University. She held this position for five years.

Palmer also became involved in a national effort to teach people about voting. In 1986, she started the Chicago YMCA Youth and Government Program. This program helps young people learn about how government works. She was also the executive director of Chicago Cities in Schools. In the late 1980s, she joined a group that was against apartheid in South Africa.

Serving in the Illinois Senate

In June 1991, Alice Palmer was chosen to join the Illinois State Senate. She filled the seat of Senator Richard J. Newhouse, Jr., who had retired. She successfully ran for election in 1992. Her four-year term ended on January 8, 1997.

While in the Illinois State Senate, Alice Palmer worked on several important committees. These included committees for money (Appropriations) and business (Commerce and Economic Development). She also worked on committees for education. She became the vice chairperson of the Commerce and Economic Development committee.

Later, she served on committees that looked at how the state government worked. She was also part of groups that helped with laws and information systems.

1995 U.S. House Campaign

In July 1995, Alice Palmer announced she would run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She wanted to replace U.S. Representative Mel Reynolds. At that time, she said she would not run for re-election to her Illinois State Senate seat.

Soon after, Barack Obama started his campaign for Palmer's Illinois State Senate seat. He had never held a political office before.

After Mel Reynolds left the U.S. House, a special election was planned for November 1995. In September 1995, Palmer's supporters asked other candidates to drop out. They hoped this would allow Palmer to run without opposition.

On September 19, 1995, Barack Obama officially announced his candidacy for the state senate. Alice Palmer introduced him and supported him as her successor. Her support brought him help from local groups and activists.

On November 28, 1995, Palmer finished third in the primary election to replace Reynolds. She said she still would not seek re-election to the state senate. However, she changed her mind and filed papers to run again on December 18, 1995. This was the last day to file.

Obama told the Chicago Tribune that he was disappointed she changed her mind. In early 1996, Obama challenged the signatures on Palmer's petitions. He also challenged the petitions of three other candidates. Almost two-thirds of Palmer's signatures were found to be invalid. This left her short of the number needed to be on the ballot.

None of the other candidates had enough valid signatures either. As a result, Obama was the only Democratic candidate on the ballot. He had filed over 3,000 signatures. This meant he was almost guaranteed to win in this district, which mostly voted Democratic. He easily won the general election in November. Obama later said that the challenges were fair because of clear problems with the signature sheets.

Later Career and Passing

After leaving public office, Alice Palmer became a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She worked in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. She also served as a special assistant to the university president before she retired.

Palmer supported Hillary Clinton during the 2008 presidential primary elections. She was also a key supporter of Danny Davis when he ran for mayor of Chicago in 2011.

Alice Palmer passed away on May 25, 2023, at the age of 83.