Alice Tregay Papers

Biographical Note

Alice Lucille Tregay (Hicks) was born November 14, 1929 in Evanston, Illinois. She is one of three siblings; she has three children with her husband James Tregay, and has six grandchildren. She attending Evanston Township High School and later graduated from Roosevelt University.

Throughout her life, Tregay was known as a political activist, advocating for civil rights issues. She worked with key figures such as, Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson, Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Roland Burris and Mayor Harold Washington. She met with Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and Vise Presidents Walter Mondale and Al Gore.

In her work she advocated and lobbied for the poor and minorities. In 1964, she helped to organize marches against the ‘Willis Wagons,’ which propagated the segregation of Chicago Public Schools. She also worked with American Friends Service Organization to help combat discrimination by realtors. Tregay also worked as an advocating for minorities to register and vote in political elections.