"Irene McCoy Gaines"(10-25-1892-April 7,1964)

She was from Ocala,Florida.Her older sister died while she was a child.She was taken to Chicago and raised by her mother after a family divorce.Irene graduated from Wendell Philips High School,and attended  Fisk Normal School from 1905-1910.In 1914,she married Harris B.Gains and they had two sons.Through her own experiences and those of others (particularly in the juvenile court system),she understood the needs and problems of African American in America.She joined the War Camp Community serving during World WarI and became the secretary of the first secretary of the first African American of the YWCA in Chicago in 1920.She also worked in the welfare department for Cook County from 1930-1945,and served as president of the Chicago Council of Negro Organizations (CCNO) from 1939-1945,Irene saw the need for change through legislation.She was the first African American to run for a state legislative seat and was (in 1950) the first African American woman to run for the county commissioner's office.Though she lost both elections Irene gained much crediibility.She received many awards for her efforts over the years,including the George Washington Honor Medal in 1958 and the Fisk University Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 1959.