The Honorable Clark Burrus
Clark Burrus was born in Chicago on November 5, 1928. He grew up on Chicago's south side and graduated from Englewood High School in 1946. He began studies at Texas State University before returning to Chicago to complete both a B.S.C.(1954) and a M.P.A.(1972) at Roosevelt University.
From 1954-1979, Burrus worked for the City of Chicago, and served under Mayors Martin Kennelley, Richard J. Daley, Michael Bilandic, and Jane Byrne. In 1973 he was named City Comptroller, the city's Chief Financial Officer. Under his capable supervision over Chicago's Department of Finance, the City achieved its first Double-A-Bond rating for conformance in accounting.
In 1979 Burrus entered the private sector, serving as the Senior Vice President of the First National Bank of Chicago in the Asset and Liability Management Department, a position he would hold for the next twelve years. In 1991 he was made the Vice Chairman of First Chicago Capital Markets, Inc. and co-head of the Public Banking Department.
Though he retired in 1998, Burrus remained active in Chicago's business community for many years, serving in an advisory capacity on numerous boards and committees. He acted as the Chairman for the Chicago Council on Urban Affairs - Advisory Board, and Co-Chairman for the Health Care Sub-Committee of the Cook County Citizens Budget Review Committee. In addition, he sat on the boards of directors of twelve organizations, including the Economic Development Council, The Harold Washington Foundation, and Urban Gateways. He was a member of the Union League Club of Chicago, The Economic Club of Chicago, The Executives' Club of Chicago, and the Mid-Day Club. He also published articles on minority issues in public finance. Burrus and his wife Lucille had one son, James.
Burrus passed away on June 17, 2015 at age 86.
A2002.193
Male

10/1/2002
Burrus
Married
Englewood High School

Clark
Chicago
BUR07
Fall, Spring
Illinois
Southeast Florida
None

Illinois
11/5/1928
Chicago
United States
Seafood
6/17/2015
Bank executive and city comptroller The Honorable Clark Burrus (1928 - 2015 ) was a financial expert and was the first African American comptroller for the City of Chicago.
City of Chicago
First National Bank
First Chicago Capital Markets
Brown
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Clark Burrus interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus's favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus discusses his family background
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus recalls his father Lemmie and Mississippi
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus talks about his parents' move to Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus discusses his father's work
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Clark Burrus recalls Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Clark Burrus remembers his childhood
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Clark Burrus talks about his participation in athletics
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Clark Burrus recalls his elementary school years
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Clark Burrus recalls his father's disciplinary technique
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus tells a story about receiving a punishment
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus tells about how he avoided trouble as a youth
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus discusses his participation in athletics
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus talks about his choice of college
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus recalls a racial incident in Houston, Texas
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Clark Burrus talks about revisiting Texas Southern University
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Clark Burrus discusses working his way through college
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Clark Burrus discusses his search for a job
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus describes his promotions
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus describes his roles as Chief Financial Officer and Comptroller
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus talks about former Chicago mayors
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus discusses his work with Harold Washington
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus talks about the Eugene Sawyer administration
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Clark Burrus recalls mentoring Cook County Clerk Dorothy Brown
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Clark Burrus discusses Chicago city politics
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus recalls the Jane Byrne administration
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus discusses several former Chicago mayors
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus talks about working in Chicago city government
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus discusses his role in city government
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus reflects on his power in city government
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Clark Burrus recalls mentoring a young African American
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Clark Burrus discusses his move into banking
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus talks about his start at First National Bank of Chicago
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus describes the dynamic at First National Bank of Chicago
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus talks about working at First National Bank
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus describes his views on banking
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus recalls a big move at First National Bank
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Clark Burrus discusses public life
Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Clark Burrus talks about East Coast banks
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Clark Burrus describes his banking career
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus describes different types of banking
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus talks about changes in the banking industry
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus talks about African American banks
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus discusses the state of black banks
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus talks about black banks in Chicago
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Clark Burrus discusses his work with the Chicago School Board
Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus talks about bailing out the Chicago School Board
Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus discusses his term on the Chicago School Board
Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus describes his move from the RTA to the CTA board
Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus recalls a scandal at the Chicago Housing Authority
Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus discusses an incident at the CTA
Tape: 7 Story: 7 - Clark Burrus discusses his financial work in Washington, D.C.
Tape: 8 Story: 1 - Clark Burrus discusses his hopes and concerns for the black community
Tape: 8 Story: 2 - Clark Burrus talks about black employment
Tape: 8 Story: 3 - Clark Burrus discusses the lack of black-owned businesses
Tape: 8 Story: 4 - Clark Burrus discusses black culture and business
Tape: 8 Story: 5 - Clark Burrus talks about black income versus capital
Tape: 8 Story: 6 - Clark Burrus discusses his legacy
Tape: 8 Story: 7 - Clark Burrus talks about his parents and his success
Tape: 9 Story: 1 - Photo - Clark Burrus in his office at First National Bank of Chicago
Tape: 9 Story: 2 - Photo - Clark Burrus is crowned king of the DuSable Museum Carnival
Tape: 9 Story: 3 - Photo - Clark Burrus and entertainer, Danny Thomas
Tape: 9 Story: 4 - Photo - Clark Burrus giving a speech
Tape: 9 Story: 5 - Photo - Clark Burrus, Illinois State's Attorney Dick Devine, and John Schmidt
Tape: 9 Story: 6 - Photo - Clark Burrus with other Chicago politicians on a golf outing
Tape: 9 Story: 7 - Photo - Clark Burrus with other Chicago-area businessmen on a golf outing
Tape: 9 Story: 8 - Photo - Clark Burrus with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and an unidentified man
Tape: 9 Story: 9 - Photo - Clark Burrus with Mayor Harold Washington and John Stroger
Tape: 9 Story: 10 - Photo - Clark Burrus, Mayor Michael Bilandic and colleagues from the City of Chicago
Tape: 9 Story: 11 - Photo - Clark Burrus and colleagues from the City of Chicago
Tape: 9 Story: 12 - Photo - Clark Burrus in his college graduation portrait
Tape: 9 Story: 13 - Photo - Clark Burrus and wife Lucille at Michael Bilandic's wedding
Tape: 9 Story: 14 - Photo - Clark Burrus on the cover of 'Dollars and Sense' magazine
Tape: 9 Story: 15 - Photo - Clark Burrus and Cook County, Illinois State's Attorney Cecil Partee
Tape: 9 Story: 16 - Photo - Clark Burrus with his wife celebrating the 25th anniversary with the City of Chicago
Tape: 9 Story: 17 - Photo - A newspaper clipping featuring Clark Burrus, Dr. Ruth Love and Richard Thomas
Tape: 9 Story: 18 - Photo - Clark Burrus in a clipping announcing his appointment to a national finance post, ca. 1973
Tape: 9 Story: 19 - Photo - Drawing of Clark Burrus in an advertisement for First National Bank of Chicago
Tape: 9 Story: 20 - Photo - Clark Burrus, his wife and his assistant at the Carnival Ball held at the DuSable Museum, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1988
Tape: 9 Story: 21 - Photo - Jewel Lafontant MANkarious and son John Rogers at a Carnival Ball at the DuSable Museum, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1988
Tape: 9 Story: 22 - Photo - Jewel Lafontant MANkarious and Clark Burrus at a Carnival Ball at the DuSable Museum, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1988.
Tape: 9 Story: 23 - Photo - Drawings of Clark Burrus and others in an advertisement for First National Bank of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1981
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