Michael Anthony Bilandic facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Anthony Bilandic
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| Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court | |
| In office January 1, 1994 – January 1, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Benjamin K. Miller |
| Succeeded by | James D. Heiple |
| Member of the Supreme Court of Illinois | |
| In office November 2, 1990 – August 30, 2000 |
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| Succeeded by | Thomas R. Fitzgerald |
| 49th Mayor of Chicago | |
| In office December 20, 1976 – April 16, 1979 |
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| Deputy | Casey Laskowski |
| Preceded by | Richard J. Daley |
| Succeeded by | Jane Byrne |
| City of Chicago Alderman | |
| In office June 12, 1969 – June 7, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Matthew J. Danaher |
| Succeeded by | Patrick M. Huels |
| Constituency | 11th Ward |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Anthony Bilandic
February 13, 1923 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 15, 2002 (aged 78) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Mary's Cemetery Evergreen Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Heather Morgan
(m. 1977) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | De La Salle Institute St. Mary's University of Minnesota (BA) DePaul University College of Law (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank |  First Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Michael Anthony Bilandic (February 13, 1923 – January 15, 2002) was an American politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Bilandic served as the 49th mayor of Chicago from 1976 to 1979. He became mayor after the death of the previous mayor, Richard J. Daley.
Before becoming mayor, Bilandic worked as a lawyer in Chicago. He also served as an alderman (a city council member) for Chicago's 11th Ward from 1969 to 1976. After his time as mayor, Bilandic became the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 1994 to 1997.
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Early Life and Career
Michael Bilandic was born in Chicago. His parents were immigrants from Croatia. He went to De La Salle Institute and graduated in 1940.
During World War II, Bilandic joined the United States Marine Corps in 1943. He served as a first lieutenant until 1945. After the war, he went back to school. He earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in 1947.
After college, Bilandic returned to Chicago. He became involved in politics. In 1948, Richard J. Daley, a powerful political leader, asked Bilandic to help the Democratic Party in the 11th Ward. In 1951, Bilandic earned his law degree from DePaul University College of Law. His official political career began in 1969 when he was elected alderman for the 11th Ward. He took office on March 11, 1969.
Mayor of Chicago (1976–1979)
When Mayor Richard J. Daley passed away on December 20, 1976, the leader of the City Council, Wilson Frost, said he would be the acting mayor. However, many in the city council disagreed. After about a week of talks, the city council chose Michael Bilandic to be the acting mayor. He would serve for about six months until a special election could be held. This election would choose a mayor to finish the rest of Daley's term.
Bilandic was chosen with the understanding that he would not run in the special election. But he decided to run anyway in 1977. He was very popular at the time and won the Democratic primary election in April 1977. He defeated several other candidates, including Harold Washington. On June 7, 1977, Bilandic was elected mayor of Chicago in the general election. He officially took office on June 22, 1977.
His time as mayor was short and faced many challenges. Bilandic had to deal with several disagreements between workers and their employers. He also faced difficult situations, including an incident at City Hall in June 1977 that led to unrest in the Puerto Rican community.
Bilandic helped start ChicagoFest, a popular food and music festival held at Navy Pier. The Chicago Marathon also had its first race in 1977, and Bilandic himself ran in it. He loved running and made sure five miles of unused horse paths along the lakefront were turned into running paths for everyone.
The Blizzard of 1979
In January 1979, a huge snowstorm, known as the 1979 Chicago blizzard, hit Chicago. It dropped 21 inches of snow in just two days and almost shut down the city. Many people blamed Mayor Bilandic for the city's slow response to the storm.
To try and help, Bilandic ordered the Chicago 'L' trains to skip many stops. This especially affected neighborhoods on the South Side, making many voters angry.
1979 Mayoral Primary
The city's former consumer affairs head, Jane Byrne, decided to run against Mayor Bilandic in the 1979 Democratic mayoral primary. She had been fired by Bilandic in 1977. People were unhappy with how the city handled the snowstorm, which hurt Bilandic's chances.
Many voters, including those on the North Side and Northwest Side, were upset with the Democratic Party's choices for city leaders. Reverend Jesse Jackson also supported Jane Byrne. Bilandic lost the primary election very closely, with 49% of the vote to Byrne's 51%. Jane Byrne then won the general election and became Chicago's first female mayor.
Personal Life
On June 1, 1977, Chicago's Archbishop John Cardinal Cody married Michael Bilandic to Heather Morgan. Bilandic and Morgan had a son, Michael M. Bilandic Jr., who was born in 1978.
Later Career and Death
After his term as mayor, Michael Bilandic continued his career in law. He was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 1984. Then, in 1990, he was elected to the Illinois Supreme Court, where he served until 2000. From 1994 to 1996, Bilandic held the important position of chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.
Michael Bilandic passed away on January 15, 2002, from heart failure. He was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
