User:Ln2013
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'''Early Life''' |
'''Early Life''' |
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Earl Neal was born April 16, 1928 and raised in a segregated and predominantly black neighborhood in [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]. His father was Earl J. Neal founded Neal & Leroy in 1938, becoming one of the few [[African Americans|African-American]] licensed attorneys in Chicago. He would later become an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of [[Cook County |
Earl Neal was born April 16, 1928 and raised in a segregated and predominantly black neighborhood in [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]. His father was Earl J. Neal founded Neal & Leroy in 1938, becoming one of the few [[African Americans|African-American]] licensed attorneys in Chicago. He would later become an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of [[Cook County, Illinois]]. His mother, Evelyn Smith Neal, was a [[Chicago Public Schools|Chicago Public Schoo]] |
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After graduating from law school, Neal served two years in the United States Army{{Cite journal |first=Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity |date=February 17, 2022 |title=Celebrating the Life of Phi Alpha Delta's First African American Member Earl Langdon Neal |url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.pad.org/resource/collection/70E0A1CC-BD8E-4FDB-86B9-2A23DF1AB718/2022_Earl_Neal_Profile.pdf |journal=Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International}}. |
After graduating from law school, Neal served two years in the United States Army{{Cite journal |first=Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity |date=February 17, 2022 |title=Celebrating the Life of Phi Alpha Delta's First African American Member Earl Langdon Neal |url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.pad.org/resource/collection/70E0A1CC-BD8E-4FDB-86B9-2A23DF1AB718/2022_Earl_Neal_Profile.pdf |journal=Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International}}. |
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'''Later Life''' |
'''Later Life''' |
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Neal joined Neal & Leroy in 1955 and remained at the firm for the rest of his career{{Cite journal |first=Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity |date=February 17, 2022 |title=Celebrating the Life of Phi Alpha Delta's First African American Member Earl Langdon Neal |url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.pad.org/resource/collection/70E0A1CC-BD8E-4FDB-86B9-2A23DF1AB718/2022_Earl_Neal_Profile.pdf |journal=Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International}}. During his tenure at Neal & Leroy, he counseled the [[Chicago|City of Chicago]] for major public works including the [[Dan Ryan Expressway]], the [[University of Illinois Chicago|University of Illinois at Chicago]], and [[Rate Field|U.S. Cellular |
Neal joined Neal & Leroy in 1955 and remained at the firm for the rest of his career{{Cite journal |first=Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity |date=February 17, 2022 |title=Celebrating the Life of Phi Alpha Delta's First African American Member Earl Langdon Neal |url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.pad.org/resource/collection/70E0A1CC-BD8E-4FDB-86B9-2A23DF1AB718/2022_Earl_Neal_Profile.pdf |journal=Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International}}. During his tenure at Neal & Leroy, he counseled the [[Chicago|City of Chicago]] for major public works including the [[Dan Ryan Expressway]], the [[University of Illinois Chicago|University of Illinois at Chicago]], and [[Rate Field|U.S. Cellular Field]]. He also played a major role in acquiring the land used to develop expansion at both [[Midway International Airport|Midway Airport]] and [[O'Hare International Airport|Chicago O'Hare Airport]]{{Cite web |first=Illinois General Assembly |title=Senate Resolution |url=https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/94/SR/PDF/09400SR0058.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=April 20, 2026 |website=ILGA.gov}}. |
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In 1960, Mayor [[Richard J. Daley]] appointed Neal to the Corporation Counsels office where he served as an Assistant Counsel leading the real estate division. In his role, he collaborated with the Bureau of Engineering on land acquisition efforts for the [[Dan Ryan Expressway|Dan Ryan]] and [[Kennedy Expressway|Kennedy]] expressways' rapid transit expansion and served as a trial attorney for both the Land Acquisition Division and the Land Clearance Committee{{Cite web |title=Earl Neal's Biography |url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/earl-neal-39 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=The HistoryMakers |language=en}}. |
In 1960, Mayor [[Richard J. Daley]] appointed Neal to the Corporation Counsels office where he served as an Assistant Counsel leading the real estate division. In his role, he collaborated with the Bureau of Engineering on land acquisition efforts for the [[Dan Ryan Expressway|Dan Ryan]] and [[Kennedy Expressway|Kennedy]] expressways' rapid transit expansion and served as a trial attorney for both the Land Acquisition Division and the Land Clearance Committee{{Cite web |title=Earl Neal's Biography |url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/earl-neal-39 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=The HistoryMakers |language=en}}. |
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'''Awards''' |
'''Awards''' |
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Neal was the |
Neal was the received several awards, including the Robert S. Abbott Memorial Award, the Justice John Paul Stevens Award, and the Defender of Justice Award; his community work included membership in the [[Chicago Urban League]], the [[NAACP]], and co-chairmanship of the Teachers Academy for Mathematics and Science{{Cite web |first=Illinois General Assembly |title=Senate Resolution |url=https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/94/SR/PDF/09400SR0058.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=April 20, 2026 |website=ILGA.gov}}. |
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'''Personal life''' |
'''Personal life''' |
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Neal died on February 13, 2005{{Cite web |title=Earl Neal's Biography |url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/earl-neal-39 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=The HistoryMakers |language=en}}. |
Neal died on February 13, 2005{{Cite web |title=Earl Neal's Biography |url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/earl-neal-39 |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=The HistoryMakers |language=en}}. Following Neal's death, longtime Chicago Mayor [[Richard M. Daley]] praised him as "a giant of the legal profession" noting that he had served as a trusted advisor to every Chicago mayor over the preceding fifty years and that the city was better for his contributions to civic life{{Cite journal |first=Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity |date=February 17, 2022 |title=Celebrating the Life of Phi Alpha Delta's First African American Member Earl Langdon Neal |url=https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.pad.org/resource/collection/70E0A1CC-BD8E-4FDB-86B9-2A23DF1AB718/2022_Earl_Neal_Profile.pdf |journal=Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International}}. |
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In 1955, he married Isobel Neal, owner The Isobel Neal Gallery{{Cite web |first=Illinois General Assembly |title=Senate Resolution |url=https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/94/SR/PDF/09400SR0058.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=April 20, 2026 |website=ILGA.gov}}. The couple had one child, Langdon Neal, who currently is Managing Member at Neal & Leroy{{Cite web |title=Langdon D. Neal |url=https://www.nealandleroy.com/attorneys/langdon-d-neal |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=Neal & Leroy |language=en}}. |
In 1955, he married Isobel Neal, owner The Isobel Neal Gallery{{Cite web |first=Illinois General Assembly |title=Senate Resolution |url=https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/94/SR/PDF/09400SR0058.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=April 20, 2026 |website=ILGA.gov}}. The couple had one child, Langdon Neal, who currently is Managing Member at Neal & Leroy{{Cite web |title=Langdon D. Neal |url=https://www.nealandleroy.com/attorneys/langdon-d-neal |access-date=2026-04-21 |website=Neal & Leroy |language=en}}. |
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