Code,990034
Subject,Alan Dean Buchanan
Date,6/24/2013
Interviewer,Katherine Taylor
Abstract,"Alan Dean Buchanan has been the Judge in Cleveland Heights since 2001. He took over for Lynn Toler who was elected in 1994. Judge Buchanan was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He lived with his mother and older brother and attended Northwestern High School in Darlington, Pennsylvania. After high school he went to Princeton University in New Jersey. He was one of about 13 blacks in a graduating class of about 700. While at Princeton he wrote his senior thesis on Carl Stokes campaign in Cleveland, which he came to visit. While here he was introduced to Jim Brown and others who started the Black Economic Union. After he left Princeton he worked full time for the Black Economic Union and started law school at Case Western Reserve University. He then became a clerk for George Forbes and worked at his firm after graduating and passing the bar in 1973. Eventually he went on to start his own practice with three other lawyers. Judge Buchanan has had a long legal career."
Tags,"Pennsylvania, Princeton, Carl Stokes, Glenville Riots, lawyer, Law and Justice, Jim Brown, Louis Stokes, Arnold Pinkney, Black Economic Union, Cleveland Heights, Judge, Richard Celeste"
Special Notes,Volume is on the high side
minutes:,
0,"Born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania; Went to high shool in Darlington and graduated in 1964 (Northwestern high school), involved in athletics"
1,"Attended Princeton, New Jersey and graduated in 1968, majored in politics; senior thesis on Carl Stokes campaign; came to Cleveland met Carl Stokes"
2,observed and participated in campaign to an extent; population was larger during Stokes election
3,"worked with black economic union in Cleveland, founded by Jim Brown and John Wootan; did a work study program"
4,"Went to lawschool at Case Western Reserve University; lived with mother, parents were not married"
5,"older brother Jerry also went to Princeton; small town, rode horses and bailed hay"
6,"Went to Northwestern High school in Darlington, predominantly white school, about 3-4 black families attended the school; some discrimination"
7,"Talks about critical language program at Princeton, were maybe 13 blacks at Princeton"
8,the Stokes campaign was interesting; learned the basics of actual politics
9,Buchanan deep in legal career when he decided he wanted to run for office (2001)
10,Did grunt work for the campaign; Black Economic union
11,"Purpose was to offer loans to black comanies; summer of 1967, helped organization prepare a grant to send to the Ford foundation, successfully funded"
12,grant allowed Black Economic Union to open offices in place like Washington D.C and Los Angeles.
13,"Real politics is what is required to be successful in politics; politic significance in black community, talks about Carl Stokes"
14,"mentions Louis Stokes becoming a Congressman; a lot of tension in Cleveland, recalls riots and racially motivated violence"
15,returned to Cleveland for job opportunity; Glenville Riots in 1968; 1968 Dr. King Assassinated
16,"Active business community in 1960s, lived at E105th and Chester, a lot of black businesses; more black business on Cedar"
17,Case Western Reserve was an academically challenging school; worked full time at Black Economic Union full time during law school
18,"Did clerk work for Gaines, Roberts, Horton and Forbes; Graduated law school in 1973 and passed the bar, continued to work with George Forbes as a lawyer"
19,"Helped create the Law and Justice Program on Hough at E 65th, provided free services to people in the Hough area"
20,"Aftermath of destruction and violence, people began to leave the area"
21,"got married at age 38, wife, Louise, moved to Cleveland Heights in 1988; after Forbes law firm went into private practice with three other lawyers in Williamson building (replaced by Huntingon Building 200 Public Sq.)"
22,"Firm was called Hardamen, Alexander, Buchanan and Travers; did not experience steering in Cleveland Heights; does not know much about Heights Community Congress"
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24,"Campaigning was a deja vu; Arnold Pinkney was a mentor to Buchanan, was a member on the Black Economic Union was also campaign manager for Louis Stokes"
25,"Richard Celeste, got to know wife Dagmar; Dick Celeste ran for governor in 1982 and Buchanan helped with that"
26,"Became legal counsel for the governor, was vice chair on Ohio board of tax appeals"
27,Talks about board of tax appeals
28,Norman S. Minor Bar Association was an effort to combine all black bar associations (for men and women)
29,"mentions the transition of Cleveland Heights and mentions proceeding Judge, Lynn Toler was a black judge"
30,"Toler won election in 1994, following judgeship of Sarah Hunter; Toler held office for eight years, won by three or four votes (beat out Russell Baron???)"
31,talks about recount in 1994 (Toler got more votes in recounts)
32,Relected and then Judge Toler got an opportunity to move to television
33,"Buchanan was elected in 2001, talks about experience as judge in Cleveland Heights"
34,"talks about appointed Judge being related to mayor, challenging ballot and board of elections"
35,8 weeks to campaign after being put on ballot
36,"biggest challenges as Judge was administrative, got a handle after a while in the courtroom; only one Judge in Cleveland Heights"
37,"Prolific police department in terms of traffic enforcement, excellent response time"
38,"talks about emergency response, blacks have increased in community since 2001, went from about 41% to more than 46%"
39,learned the ethnic pockets in the city of Cleveland Heights
40,Cleveland Heights has a diverse population; thought east/ west division was interesting
41,"interesting how ethnic groups come together and lived in pockets, did not see it as racism; no bad experiences campaigning"
42,Community leaders were open to Buchanan's candidacy; does not see racism in Cleveland Heights
43,"Lived on 105 and Chester, lived in Warrensville Heights, owns a house in Cleveland, was looking at a house in Forest Hill and found a house in Cleveland Heights"
44,Supported Michael White but was not active; would not have been elected Judge if Louis Stokes did not do an ad for Buchanan
45,Cleveland Heights strongly supported Congressman Stokes; doors opened with the Louis Stokes ads
46,Stokes has been honorary Chairman on Buchanan's campaigns
47,talks about setting standard in community as Judge
48,Talks about people moving into Cleveland Heights and understanding what community is about
49,Continues talking about violations and consequences
50,Mentions heart wrentching cases (End of Interview)
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