Chicago Public Radio passes along some sad news this afternoon: Legendary Hyde Park alderman and progressive activist Leon Despres died this morning at the age of 101.

For independent City Council members struggling to find their voice, there's no better role model than Despres. For 20 years, he served as the "liberal conscience" of Chicago politics, challenging the Daley Machine on issues of patronage, civil rights, women' rights, and housing desegregation. Often times, he was the only dissenting vote. And his law firm, now managed by Tom Geoghegan, has become one of the premier labor and public interest firms in the nation.

Last year, NBC 5's Bob Sirott conducted an interesting interview with Despres a few weeks before Barack Obama's victory in the presidential election. We posted an excerpt in November, but it's worth rewatching now:

To learn more about Depres, be sure to check out his 2003 interview on WBEZ's Eight Forty Eight, this 2005 New York Times profile, and his series of Slate diaries last year chronicling his daily routine.