On April 26, 1886, William Levi Dawson was born in Albany, Georgia. A graduate of Fisk University and Northwestern University Law School, Dawson went on to become a monumental figure in American politics. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1942, he represented Illinois’s 1st Congressional District and became the first African American to chair a congressional committee—the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. He was a key advocate for civil rights, urban housing, and government accountability. Dawson served for over 27 years, breaking barriers and opening doors for generations of Black legislators.
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