Katie Hall
Encyclopedia
Katie Beatrice Hall served as a U.S. Representative
from Indiana
from 1982 to 1985. She was born Katie Beatrice Green in Mound Bayou
, Bolivar County, Mississippi
. She attended the public schools of Mound Bayou. Hall received a B.S. from Mississippi Valley State University
, Itta Bena
, Mississippi in 1960 and an M.S. from Indiana University
, Bloomington
, Indiana in 1968.
Hall served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives
1974–1976 and a member of the Indiana Senate
1976–1982. She was a delegate to the Democratic Mini Convention in Memphis
, Tennessee, in 1978. Hall chaired the Indiana State Democratic convention in 1980. Following the sudden death of Congressman Adam Benjamin in September 1982, Hall won a special election to fill the vacancy. She was appointed the Democratic nominee over more experienced candidates by the black mayor of Gary, Indiana who was also serving as the head of the 1st District's Democratic committee. She would go on to defeat the Republican candidate (who spent just $10,000 in his campaign) in the 1982 general election by only 56% to 43% despite it being an overwhelmingly Democratic district. In her first primary, 1984, the white Democrats ran two candidates, former Benjamin aide Peter Visclosky and Lake County prosecutor Jack Crawford. Many thought the two candidates would split the anti-Hall vote, but Visclosky prevailed with 34% to Hall's 33% and Crawford's 31%. Hall ultimately served as a Democrat
in the last months the 97th Congress
and the entire term of the 98th Congress
.
Following her primary defeat she became vice chair of the Gary, Indiana
Housing Board of Commissioners. She later served as city clerk of Gary, Indiana from 1985 to 1993. In both 1988 and 1990 she made unsuccessful attempts against Visclosky in the Democratic primaries.
Katie hall led the Capitol Hill drive to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law.
In May 2002, Katie Hall, again serving as Gary City Clerk, and her daughter, Chief Deputy Clerk Junifer Hall, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, extortion, and mail fraud. Junifer Hall was also charged with five counts of perjury. Katie Hall eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to house arrest and probation. Junifer Hall was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison.
Hall presently resides in Gary, Indiana.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from 1982 to 1985. She was born Katie Beatrice Green in Mound Bayou
Mound Bayou, Mississippi
Mound Bayou is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi. The population was 2,102 at the 2000 census. It is notable for having been founded as an independent black community in 1887 by former slaves led by Isaiah Montgomery. By percentage, its 98.4 percent African-American majority population is one...
, Bolivar County, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. She attended the public schools of Mound Bayou. Hall received a B.S. from Mississippi Valley State University
Mississippi Valley State University
Mississippi Valley State University is a historically black university located in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in the United States. MVSU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund....
, Itta Bena
Itta Bena, Mississippi
Itta Bena is a city in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,208 at the 2000 census. The town's name is derived from the Choctaw phrase iti bina, meaning "forest camp"...
, Mississippi in 1960 and an M.S. from Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
, Indiana in 1968.
Hall served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
1974–1976 and a member of the Indiana Senate
Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits...
1976–1982. She was a delegate to the Democratic Mini Convention in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee, in 1978. Hall chaired the Indiana State Democratic convention in 1980. Following the sudden death of Congressman Adam Benjamin in September 1982, Hall won a special election to fill the vacancy. She was appointed the Democratic nominee over more experienced candidates by the black mayor of Gary, Indiana who was also serving as the head of the 1st District's Democratic committee. She would go on to defeat the Republican candidate (who spent just $10,000 in his campaign) in the 1982 general election by only 56% to 43% despite it being an overwhelmingly Democratic district. In her first primary, 1984, the white Democrats ran two candidates, former Benjamin aide Peter Visclosky and Lake County prosecutor Jack Crawford. Many thought the two candidates would split the anti-Hall vote, but Visclosky prevailed with 34% to Hall's 33% and Crawford's 31%. Hall ultimately served as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in the last months the 97th Congress
97th United States Congress
The Ninety-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1981 to January 3, 1983, during the final weeks of...
and the entire term of the 98th Congress
98th United States Congress
The Ninety-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1983 to January 3, 1985, during the third and...
.
Following her primary defeat she became vice chair of the Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
Housing Board of Commissioners. She later served as city clerk of Gary, Indiana from 1985 to 1993. In both 1988 and 1990 she made unsuccessful attempts against Visclosky in the Democratic primaries.
Katie hall led the Capitol Hill drive to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law.
In May 2002, Katie Hall, again serving as Gary City Clerk, and her daughter, Chief Deputy Clerk Junifer Hall, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, extortion, and mail fraud. Junifer Hall was also charged with five counts of perjury. Katie Hall eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to house arrest and probation. Junifer Hall was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison.
Hall presently resides in Gary, Indiana.