Edward J. Rosewell | |
---|---|
Cook County Treasurer | |
In office December 1974 – December 1998 | |
Preceded by | Bernard J. Korzen |
Succeeded by | Maria Pappas |
Personal details | |
Born | 1924 or 1925 |
Died | July 29, 1999 (age 74) Kankakee, Illinois |
Political party | Democratic |
Edward J. Rosewell was an American politician who served as Cook County treasurer.
Rosewell was born in 1924 or 1925. [1] He was the youngest son of his parents. [2] His father was a truck driver, and his mom was a homemaker. [2]
Rosewell grew up in the Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. [3] He went to Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School and St. Philip High School. [3] He graduated from DePaul University. [3]
Rosewell served two years in the United States Army. [3]
Rosewell began his political career as a young man, working in the 24th Ward of Chicago as a precinct captain. [1] [2] [3]
In the 1950s he became involved in a Young Democrats group, helping found the organization. [1] [2] [3] Other members at the time included Richard Mell, Ted Lechowicz, and Harry Comerford. [3]
Rosewell served as executive director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. [1] [3] He served as a commissioner of the Chicago Park District. [1] [3]
He worked in the private sector as a vice president in the public funds division of Continental Illinois. He worked there until 1974. [2] [3] During his time with the bank, [4] he won election to the Illinois Constitutional Convention as a delegate from the 18th legislative district. At the convention he spoke in favor of allowing the legislature to establish a lottery. [5]
In 1974, Richard J. Daley asked Rosewell to run for Cook County treasurer. [1] [3] As the Democratic nominee, he was elected. [1] [3]
He was reelected in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994.
In 1984, he was acquitted of bank fraud by a jury. He had been indicted on June 8, 1983. It had been alleged that he had understated debts from a failed clothing venture of his in order to qualify to receive loans from banks which also held substantial deposits from the county government. [2] [3] [6]
Under indictment, Rosewell opted not to seek reelection in the 1998 election to what would have been a seventh term. [1] In the autumn of 1998, he resigned after pleading guilty to charges of having put two state legislators ( Bruce Farley and Miguel Santiago) in ghost jobs in the treasurer's office, which gave thousands of dollars in salary and benefits in exchange for little or no work. [1] [2] [3] During his trial, federal prosecutors argued that Rosewell's office had widespread corruption and nepotism. [2]
Craven died at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, Illinois on July 29, 1999, from a chronic liver ailment related to hepatitis C. [1] [3] After his death, his former spokesman Tom Leach said that he had suffered this ailment since 1996. [1]
After his death, a federal judge vacated his conviction, saying that Rosewell had been mentally unfit when he signed his plea agreement. [2]
Rosewell as a devout catholic, and once met Pope John Paul II. [2] He developed a friendship with Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. [2]