After being discharged, Frost begin work as a clerical worker in the public debt bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury.

Frost began attending Fisk University in January 1946 where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

[citation needed] In 1973, Frost was voted by his fellow councilors to serve as the body's president pro tempore.

[7] He was voted into this role as a reward for his loyal service to the Cook County Democratic Party's machine, which was headed by mayor Richard J.

[3] He had been urged to make this declaration by a group of leading black political figures in Chicago, chief among them Jesse Jackson.

[9] On December 22, approximately 200 of the city's leading African American community members met and unanimously endorsed Frost for acting mayor.

[9] The power struggle lasted several days, resolving itself in a compromise under which the entirely-Democratic city council determined that Frost was incorrect in his claim and appointed alderman Michael A. Bilandic to serve as acting mayor.

[8] To appease African-American voters, Frost was given the powerful position of chairman of the Finance Committee, replacing Edward Vrdolyak.

The following day, many of the African American leaders learned that Frost had accepted the aforementioned compromise and no longer intended vy for the position of acting mayor.

[11] At the same meeting that it appointed Bilandic, the council also voted for the other aspects of the compromise: naming Frost as chairman of the finance committee, Vrdolyak as president pro tempore, and Laskowski as vice mayor.

[7] In mid-April 1983, an attorney representing Frost filed a motion requesting that U.S. District Court judge Nicholas J. Bua reconsider his Shakman Decree order entered on April 4.

Shakman Decrees (the first of which had been entered issued in 1972) prohibited the city from harassing, demoting, or firing municipal employees on the basis of political beliefs or activities.

Bua's April 4, 1983 extension of its scope mandated that the city to submit a plan of action for ending its practice of patronage hiring.

[citation needed] After Washington's win the primary, Frost's relationship soured with a number of white council members aligned with the Cook County political machine.

[17] Opposition to Washington was led by Vrdolyak and Burke,[citation needed] included many of the same members of the former Richard J. Daley political machine who had in 1971 denied Frost the opportunity to assume the mayoralty.

[3] He succeeded fellow Democrat Pat Quinn (who had forgone reelection in 1986 in order to unsuccessfully run for state treasurer).

[19] Thomas A. Jaconetty (a deputy assessor) was appointed as a temporary replacement by the chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court.

[21][22] Berrios ran in the special election the next year to fill Semrow's seat, receiving the backing of the Democratic party organization.

[24] Frost was also involved in work at nonprofits, including the Mercy Hospital and Medical Center as well as the City Club of Chicago (which he served as vice president of).