John A. McDermott papers

Biographical/historical note

John A. McDermott was born in 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and became an officer. He received a B.A. in Philosophy in 1955 from Villanova University, as well as a Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and was a Lasker Fellow in Civil Liberties and Civil Rights at Brandeis University in 1960. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1985. McDermott lived in the Hyde Park-Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago with his wife Theresa and three sons.

McDermott’s career in urban affairs and race relations began in the 1950’s when he created a housing program with the City of Philadelphia’s Redevelopment Authority and its Commission on Human Rights. He went on to become a specialist in intergroup relations for the Federal Housing Administration in 1958. In 1960, McDermott moved to Chicago to serve as Director of the Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago (CIC). During this time he also became involved in civil rights in Chicago. As an associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Chicago Freedom Movement and in Dr. King’s meeting with city leaders including Mayor Richard J. Daley. He also served as one of the founders of the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities (LCMOC), a Chicago-based fair housing group, and organized the Chicago Conference on Religion and Race (CCRR) in 1963.

McDermott and served as editor and publisher of “The Chicago Reporter” from 1972-1984, a monthly publication and investigation on race relations and urban affairs in the city. He left the Chicago Reporter to become Director of Urban Affairs for Illinois Bell Company in 1985 where he advised about company policies and programs in public policy, philanthropy, and community relations. During this time at the Chicago Reporter and Illinois Bell, 1984-1990, McDermott also served as chairman of CONDUCT (Committee on Decent Unbiased Campaign Tactics), a non-partisan group of Chicago civic leaders who became an election watchdog group, calling out racial and religious bias and hate in Chicago’s politics. In 1991, McDermott retired from Illinois Bell Company and launched his own consulting company, John A. McDermott and Associates, in 1992, which focused on corporate public policy and programs.