Cheryl Blackwell Bryson Esq

Cheryl Blackwell Bryson, 61, was born in Baltimore, MD to Connie McCreary Blackwell and Clarence David Blackwell. She died on Friday, January 20, 2012 after a brief illness. Mrs. Bryson was a partner in the Duane Morris LLP law firm. One of the first African American females in Chicago to ascend to partner in a major law firm, she represented middle-market and Fortune 500 companies. Mrs. Bryson was elected to the Board of Directors of the DuSable Museum of African American History in 2004 and became president in 2009. Under her leadership, the DuSable’s stature was elevated as she spearheaded a $50 million capital campaign and attracted new donors and high profile board members. She was also a member of the Sinai Health System’s Board of Directors and chaired the Sinai Community Institute’s 19th annual gala in 2011. Mrs. Bryson mentored many young lawyers during her career and provided strategy and fundraising support to numerous elected officials. She is the recipient of more than a dozen honors and tributes in law and community service. She was a 1977 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Law, where she was associate editor of the Law Journal, and a 1972 magna cum laude graduate of Morgan State University in Baltimore, where she majored in psychology. Ms. Bryson is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. While on leave from law firm practice, Mrs. Bryson served as deputy corporation counsel for the City of Chicago's Law Department under Mayor Harold Washington. A frequent author and lecturer on labor and employment law issues, Mrs. Bryson was a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association, the Labor and Employment Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association, and the Cook County Bar Association. Mrs. Bryson is survived by a loving son, Blake Bryson, three sisters, two brothers, and a host of family members and friends. Her husband of 27 years, Dr. James Bryson, and her elder son, Bradley Bryson, both preceded her in death. A Celebration of Life memorial will be held in Mrs. Bryson’s honor on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at the DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Street in Chicago, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Cheryl Blackwell Bryson Esq

May 28, 1950 - January 20, 2012