William R. Stewart

William R. Stewart (October 29, 1864 – April 5, 1958) was an African American lawyer and state legislator in Ohio. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives. An African-American, he was instrumental in the passage of anti-lynching legislation and also sponsored bills providing pensions to civil servants. He was the first African American to practice law in Youngstown, Ohio.

During his two terms as a lawmaker and almost seven decades as a private attorney, Stewart participated in projects and policies designed to improve the condition of African Americans. Toward the end of his life, he was publicly honored for his role in promoting interracial cooperation.

Stewart retained his law practice until failing health and advanced age intervened. At the time of his death, he was one of the most prominent figures in Youngstown's legal community. In 1895, he was nominated for state representative at the Mahoning County Republican convention. From 1907 to 1914, Stewart served as the local attorney for the Austria-Hungarian monarchy, representing the Washington embassy through the Cleveland consulate.

Personal life

In 1890, Stewart married Consuelo Clark, a licensed physician who was the daughter of Peter H. Clark, a civil rights leader and educator. When the couple settled in Youngstown, Consuelo Clark-Stewart became the community's first African-American doctor. In addition, she helped organize a local chapter of the YWCA and sponsored Youngstown's first free kindergarten. Consuelo Stewart died in 1910; William Stewart never remarried.

Later years

In 1924, after almost 40 years in the same location, Stewart moved his offices to another downtown building to make way for the razing of the "old Diamond block". He maintained a downtown law practice until well into his eighties, when a broken hip severely limited his mobility. Stewart, in retirement, remained a visible figure within his community. In 1947, he was publicly honored as the first person to organize a local committee dedicated to interracial work. Stewart died at his North Side home of arteriosclerosis at the age of 93. His obituary in The Youngstown Vindicator described him as "the dean of Youngstown's attorneys".