Springfield attorney Mary Lee Leahy has spent her life in the public eye, helping to successfully litigate the Pickering v Board of Education Supreme Court case in the 1960s before serving as a delegate to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention. She served in the Dan Walker administration, and in 1990 successfully presented the Rutan v Republican Party of Illinois case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Interview Links
Abstract
Interview Session 01 (Audio)
Pickering Supreme Court case
Interview Session 2 (Audio)
1970 Constitutional Convention
Interview Session 3 (Audio)
Rutan v IL Republican Party Supreme Court case
Interview Session 4 (Audio)
Service on Advisory Bd for Gov Rod Blagojevich’s transition team
Transcript
Interviews #1 through #3
Transcript
Interview 4
Related Materials
See also
The Dan Walker interview on political corruption in Illinois.
See also
The Michael Shakman interview on political corruption in Illinois.
Videos
Photos
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Mary Lee’s Aunt Rose Marie Comerford, grand uncle George Comerford and baby Mary Lee Cullen.
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Mary Lee’s first communion, with her mother Eva, younger sister Maggie, Mary Lee, and father Henry Lee Cullen.
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Sister Maggie and Mary Lee when she was in 8th grade in 1954.
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1954
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May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
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Mary Lee in 1957 for her high school prom at the Maywood Academy.
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1957
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Wedding portrait from December 1964.
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1964
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Mary graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in June, 1966.
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June, 1966
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Mary Lee with her first daughter, Anna, born in 1965.
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1965
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Mary Lee with her second daughter, Brigid, born in 1967.
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1967
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Narrator's Photo
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Article and Photo taken from Saturday Evening Post, March 24th, 1962.
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March 24th, 1962
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Citation on the source is provided.
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Closeup of article from Saturday Evening Post, March 24th 1962.
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March 24th 1962
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Citation on the source is provided.
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Marvin Pickering on the day he went back to work. He was let go in 1964 for being critical of the school board. The June 1968, 9-0 ruling in his favor.
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Unknown
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June, 1968
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
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Marvin Pickering on the day he went back to work. He was let go in 1964 for being critical of the school board. The June 1968, 9-0 ruling in his favor.
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Unknown
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June, 1968
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
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The family on vacation at Door County, Wisconsin in August 1971. Brigid and Anna in front, with Andy and Mary Lee.
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August, 1971
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Mary Lee speaking at the Constitutional Convention, Spring 1970.
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Spring, 1970
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This image is considered to be in the public domain.
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Mary Lee signs Constitution with an Anna next to her. ~ Aug/Sept of 1970.
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Aug/Sept of 1970
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This image is considered to be in the public domain.
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Mary Lee in 1971 running for Alderman, her mother was happy she lost.
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1971
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Narrator’s Photo
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Photo used in campaign literature in Nov 18th, 1969 – Andrew Joseph with kids.
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Nov 18th, 1969
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Narrator’s Photo
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Mary Lee and Andy Leahy, circa 1973.
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circa 1973
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Gov. Walker at Mary Lee’s house with her parents in Springfield in 1973.
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Springfield, Illinois
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1973
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Narrator’s Photo
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The Chicago Sun-Times front page from November 1st, 1971, the day Dan Walker completed his famous walk across Illinois.
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November 1st, 1971
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Citation on the source is provided.
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Mary Lee steps down as DCFS director in 1977. Her husband is on the left, Don Schlosser, Communications Director is on the right.
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1977
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Narrator’s Photo
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Official DCFS photo, February 1 or 2, 1977.
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February 1 or 2, 1977
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This image is considered to be in the public domain.
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Walkers at the Leahy Home (L to R), Mother, Father, Roberta, Dan, Mary Lee, Anna & Russ Dawes (Head of Mines and Minerals).
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Mary Lee and Andy’s home in rural Menard County, a former Presbyterian School
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rural Menard County
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Narrator’s Photo
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Leahy represented Chicago liberals Billy Singer and Jesse Jackson in a 1972 lawsuit challenging Richard J. Daley’s Democratic Convention delegation. The Chicago Tribune announced the results with a banner headline.
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1972
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
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Mary Lee’s 60th Birthday, with Len Despres, independent alderman.
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Photo of the plaintiff’s team for the Rutan case outside the U.S. Supreme Court: (L to R) Kathryn Eisenhart, Cheryl Jannsen, Cynthia Rutan, Mary Lee, Mike Berz, Dick Johnson. January, 1990.
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January, 1990
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Narrator’s Photo
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Mary Lee Leahy in her office in a recent photograph.
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Unknown
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This image is considered to be in the public domain.
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A sample of the form used to screen employees for party allegiance before the decision of Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois.
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Unknown
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Unknown
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Citation on the source is provided.