Dan Kowalski

Off the Court

Cleveland State alumni, as Dan Kowalski tells it on the shows. Each story was checked against its source.

• Carl Stokesfirst Black big-city mayor

  Carl Stokes got his law degree here in 1956. Eleven years later, Cleveland elected him mayor, one of the first Black mayors of a major American city. Then he went to New York and anchored the news. Decent second act.

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• Louis Stokesfifteen-term Cleveland congressman

  Louis Stokes got his law degree here, started practicing in Cleveland in 1953, then went to Congress and stayed fifteen terms. Fifteen. I can't keep a parking spot downtown that long.

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• Andrew Puzderfast-food CEO, withdrawn Labor nominee

  We also claim Andrew Puzder, history degree, 1975. Ran the parent company of Hardee's and Carl's Jr., praised machines because they never take a vacation, got nominated for Secretary of Labor, then withdrew on the eve of his hearing. We claim him quietly.

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• Tim Russertmoderator of Meet the Press

  Tim Russert picked up a law degree here in 1976. Then he skipped the courtroom, ran NBC's Washington bureau and moderated Meet the Press. A lawyer who asked questions for free. Rare bird.

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• Kid Leorock radio DJ

  Kid Leo attended Cleveland State, then went off to be a rock and roll DJ. In 2022 the school handed him an honorary doctorate. So that's Doctor Leo to you.

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