Former alderman recalls buying Mayor Henry Meyer’s house and early council years

In an interview, an unidentified former alderman recalled buying former Mayor Henry Meyer’s house on Booth Street "for exactly what was left on the mortgage," and described working with city leaders and council colleagues during decades of service.

The interviewee, identified in the transcript only as "Speaker 2," said Meyer served as the city's chief executive from 1960 to 1988 and that the speaker purchased Meyer’s home while serving as an alderman. "He finally sold it to me, for exactly what was left on the mortgage," Speaker 2 said, describing negotiations about neighborhood location (Lake Drive vs. North Bull Street).

The interview focused on working relations with the mayor and city politics. Speaker 2 said they generally got along with Meyer but disagreed sharply on some policy matters, notably open housing. "When we disagreed like on open housing, we just disagreed," Speaker 2 said, adding that Meyer expected Democrats to align on issues and sometimes invoked personal contacts when pressing for outcomes. The speaker also said Meyer "swore like a sailor."

Speaker 2 described a degree of political independence during their tenure. The speaker said they did not face the same reelection pressures as some colleagues, in part because their spouse was a lawyer who could provide financial security if needed. "You have a certain independence that some aldermen do not have because they want to be reelected," Speaker 2 said.

The interview touched on representation on the common council. The interviewer noted there was a gap before another African American was elected; Speaker 2 said they served beginning in 1956 and later clarified service continued "to '70," describing roughly a 12-year span before another African American council member was elected. The record in the interview presents those dates in conversation and occasional correction between interviewer and interviewee.

Speaker 2 also praised fellow council member Orville Pitts, calling him "just as bright as a new penny" and saying Pitts could speak without notes on any subject. The interviewee described looking forward to Pitts’s presence and noted their desks were nearby.

The interview provides personal recollections of neighborhood transactions, working relationships with a long-serving mayor and a colleague on the council, and reflections on independence and representation. No formal actions, votes, or statutes were discussed. The conversation continued beyond the excerpt provided.