Donald Stephens
{{short description|American politician}}
{{about|the Illinois politician|the Malaysian politician|Fuad Stephens|the Canadian skier|Donald Stevens|the American futurist|Don Stephens}}
{{Tone|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Donald E. Stephens
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| office = 1st Village President of Rosemont, Illinois
| term_start = 1956
| term_end = April 18, 2007
| predecessor = position established
| successor = Bradley Stephens
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|03|13}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, United States
| death_date = {{death date and age|2007|04|18|1928|03|13}}
| death_place = Rosemont, Illinois, United States
| party = Republican
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Donald E. Stephens (March 13, 1928 – April 18, 2007) was the first village president (mayor) of Rosemont, Illinois, US. He was also a leading Illinois Republican politician.
Biography
Stephens, born in Chicago, is believed to have been the longest-serving mayor in the United States at the time of his death. He was in the middle of serving his thirteenth consecutive four-year term as mayor of the suburban Cook County village; he almost exceeded the Illinois record for longest-serving mayor, set by Frank Caliper of Colp. Stephens had served as Rosemont’s mayor since the town’s incorporation in 1956.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/04/19/don-stephens-1928-2007/ |title=Don Stephens: 1928 - 2007 |last=Wronski |first=Richard |work=Chicago Tribune |date=April 19, 2007 |access-date=August 3, 2016}} Prior to that, he had been the president of the homeowner's association of the neighborhood that later became known as Rosemont. During his tenure, Rosemont grew from a tiny community of only 85 to one of Illinois' most politically important communities, with over 4,000 residents as well as the nation's tenth-largest convention center. Stephens also oversaw the construction of the 18,500-seat Allstate Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon) and the Rosemont Theatre. Stephens was also an avid collector of Hummel figurines and established a museum holding his collection in Rosemont. The Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels claims to be the largest public display of Hummel figurines in the world.
Stephens died in Rosemont on April 18, 2007, of complications of stomach cancer. His son Brad succeeded him as mayor.{{cite web |last1=McCoppin |first1=Robert |title=Rosemont mayor in line to make $260,000 — more than Rahm Emanuel |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-rosemont-mayor-salary-met-20160811-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |publisher=Tribune Publishing |accessdate=12 October 2018}}
=Controversy=
Stephens' political career was dogged by accusations of association with organized crime,{{cite news |url=http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=334794 |title=Longtime Rosemont mayor Donald Stephens dies at 79 |work=The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus |date=April 19, 2007 |accessdate=August 3, 2016}}{{cite web |last1=Herguth |first1=Robert |title=Rosemont under scrutiny by the FBI, sources tell the Sun-Times |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/7/26/8930891/rosemont-fbi-scrutiny-monterrey-security-public-safety-department-donald-e-stephens-iii |website=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=17 May 2021 |language=en |date=26 July 2019}} which led to the only major political defeat in his career: the revocation of a state-issued casino license for Rosemont. In 1983, Stephens was indicted, in separate prosecutions, for tax fraud and bribery, but was acquitted on both charges.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} Federal authorities investigated him multiple times throughout his career.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://rosemont.com/museum-of-hummels/ Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels]
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Category:Mayors of places in Illinois
Category:Politicians from Chicago
Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in the United States
Category:People from Rosemont, Illinois