Former Baltimore Mayor Thomas 'Young Tommy' D'Alesandro III dies at 90 [View all]
Last edited Sun Oct 20, 2019, 01:58 PM - Edit history (3)
Source: Baltimore Sun
Former Mayor Tommy D'Alesandro stands at the intersection of Broadway and East Fayette St. where forty years ago he stood as mayor after rioting had destroyed a number of buildings. (Jed Kirschbaum / Baltimore Sun)
Thomas D'Alesandro III, a former Baltimore mayor and member of a storied political family affectionately known as "Young Tommy," died at his North Baltimore home Sunday of stroke complications.
He was 90 years old.
The oldest brother of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D'Alesandro was mayor for one tumultuous term, from 1967 to 1971, which was marked by the 1968 riots, racial strife and strikes by city laborers, bus drivers and even symphony musicians.
But it was also a time of rebuilding what even then was an aging city, and one that was losing both residents and political power to the growing suburbs. As Baltimore's 42nd mayor, he opened new schools, built a new police headquarters and pushed for open housing. D'Alesandro got Baltimoreans to approve an $80 million bond issue to build schools. He devised summer recreation programs -- mobile pools, day camps -- for city youth. And he laid legislative groundwork for the Inner Harbor development.
D'Alesandro, who took office vowing to "root out every cause or vestige of discrimination," remained proud throughout his life of his progressive record on civil rights. As City Council president, he worked with Mayor Theodore McKeldin, a liberal Republican, to eliminate racial barriers in employment, education and other areas. As mayor, he appointed multiple African-Americans to his administration, some of them, such as George Russell, Jr., the city solicitor and member of the Board of Estimates, the first African Americans to hold those positions.
Read more: https://www.baltimoresun.com/obituaries/bs-md-ob-tommy-dalesandro-20191020-dzzetsbbi5cehdiqupcp5slwca-story.html
My condolences to the Pelosi and D'Alesandro families.
Speaker Pelosi's tweet:
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Link to tweet
Nancy Pelosi ✔ @SpeakerPelosi
My brother Tommy was the finest public servant I have ever known. All his life, Tommy worked on the side of the angels. Now, he is with them.
https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/102019
Pelosi Statement on the Passing of Thomas D'Alesandro III
My husband Paul and our entire family are devastated by the loss of our patriarch, my beloved brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III.
1:46 PM - Oct 20, 2019
= new reply since forum marked as read
