At Morehouse, Perry was a well-rounded student who in addition to the being a member of the debate team, played varsity baseball, sang in the Glee Club, served as assistant advertising manager of the school yearbook, and was a Shakespearean actor who appeared in a production of Othello.
This included cases involving the reinstatement of veterans to positions they held prior to military service.
[15] Despite a strong showing by U.S. presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey at the top of the ticket, the Chicago Democrats had a clean sweep of the local election in November of that year.
Perry received a total of 638,689 votes and tied for twenty-first place out of 33 candidates for twelve positions.
[16] In 1953, Perry was appointed assistant United States attorney to handle cases involving military conscientious objectors.