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October 30
Born in Detroit, Savage attended public schools in Chicago and served in the U.S. Army until 1946 after graduation. He earned a B.A. degree in philosophy from Roosevelt University in 1951. While attending Chicago-Kent College of Law (1952-1953), he began his career as a journalist. Politically, Savage started in the 1940s as a fulltime member of the Progressive Party of former Vice President Henry A. Wallace. He also promoted programs for Paul Robeson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Hon. Elijah Muhammad. A determined opponent of Chicago’s Democratic machine, Savage ran for Congress in Illinois’ Third Congressional District in 1968 but lost. A 1970 primary bid was also unsuccessful. Savage did win in 1979, taking his seat as a member of Congress on January 3, 1981. He became chairman of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, Subcommittee on Economic Development. He was also a senior Black member of the Committee on Small Business. In 1986, he successfully sponsored an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 1987. This set aside a possible $25 billion for minority-owned and controlled businesses, institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Reference: Black Americans In Congress 1870-1989. Bruce A. Ragsdale & Joel D. Treese U.S. Government Printing Office Raymond W. Smock, historian and director 1990 E185.96.R25
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