The Resume

(April 15, 1922-November 25, 1987)
Born in Chicago, Illinois
Served in the Illinois House (1965-76) and Senate (1977-80)
US Representative from Illinois' 1st District (1981-83)
Mayor of Chicago (1983-87)
First black mayor of the city

Why he might be annoying:

His secretary said, 'If every woman Harold slept with stood at one end of City Hall, the building would sink five inches into LaSalle Street.'
His law license was suspended one year for failing to perform services he had billed clients for (1970).
He was sentenced to 40 days in jail and fined $1,000 for failing to file four years of income tax returns (1971).
A painting depicting him in women's lingerie was confiscated by police from a private student exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, triggering a First Amendment debate (1988).

Why he might not be annoying:

He served with an Air Force engineering unit in World War II.
He was the only black student in his class at Northwestern Law School.
The Independent Voters of Illinois named him best legislator of the year (1967).
When the ACLU sued the city over the painting seizure, a spokesman called Washington 'one of the great civil libertarians of our time,' noting that he had supported the rights of a sculptor who had created a satirical statue of him.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Born on Tax Day [April 15th] (Ranked: 1922)
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 19]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [April] (Ranked: 4151922)
• I am from Chicago
• I Attended Northwestern
• I Died in 1987 (Ranked: 65)
• I Died in the City I Was Born In
• I'm Buried at Oak Woods Cemetery [Chicago]
• Look at My Flag
• Mayors
• Names that are States
• People with Tom, Dick or Harry in their Names
• Profiles 25501-25750 (Ranked: 25509)
• Served in World War II
• U.S. Congressional Representatives

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 69.23% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 14 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 36 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 59 Votes: 57.63% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 23 Votes: 56.52% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 2593 Votes: 77.05% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 21 Votes: 61.90% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 76 Votes: 77.63% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 67 Votes: 76.12% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 128 Votes: 65.62% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 89 Votes: 71.91% Annoying