Friends of the Parks, the Cole Park Advisory Council, the Chicago Police Foundation and the 100 Club last week wrote to the Chicago Park District to start the legal process to name the children’s playground in Cole Park the Thomas Wortham IV Playground. 

The Code of the Chicago Park District provides in Chapter VII, Section E, that a playground proposed to be named for a person should be a community person who has demonstrated a continued commitment and made an extraordinary contribution to civic betterment.   Thomas Wortham IV was exactly that person.  He served as the president of the Cole Park Advisory Council and worked selflessly to improve the park and his community.  His sole goal was to insure that the children of the community had improved programs and facilities.  In addition, Wortham gave of himself in service to our country as a member of the National Guard serving two terms in Iraq.   Wortham was a public servant in his professional life as a Chicago police officer who was tragically killed in the line of duty.       

The Cole Park Advisory Council, multiple police organizations and Friends of the Parks support naming the Cole Park children’s playground the Thomas Wortham IV Playground.    We formally requested that this proposal be placed on the Board’s agenda to begin the 45-day public comment period as required by code. 

Please write to President Bryan Traubert to voice your support for naming the playground in memory of Thomas Wortham by emailing: timothy.later@chicagoparkdistrict.com or by mail

President Bryan Traubert

Chicago Park District

541 N. Fairbanks Court

Chicago, IL 60611