Edward Joseph Kelly | |
|---|---|
 Mayor Kelly in 1937 | |
| 46th Mayor of Chicago | |
| In office April 17, 1933 – April 15, 1947[1] | |
| Preceded by | Frank J. Corr (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Martin H. Kennelly |
| Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party | |
| In office 1943–1946 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick Nash |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Arvey |
| 6thPresident of the United States Conference of Mayors | |
| In office 1945–1947 | |
| Preceded by | Fiorello La Guardia |
| Succeeded by | George W. Welsh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edward Joseph Kelly (1876-05-01)May 1, 1876 |
| Died | October 20, 1950(1950-10-20) (aged 74) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | [2] |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence(s) | Chicago, Illinois |
Edward Joseph Kelly (May 1, 1876 – October 20, 1950) was an American politician who served as the 46th[3]Mayor of Chicago from April 17, 1933, until April 15, 1947.
Prior to being mayor of Chicago, Kelly served as chief engineer of the Chicago Sanitary District during the 1920s.
A 1994 survey of experts on Chicago politics assessed Kelly as one of the ten best mayors in the city's history (up to that time).[a]
Born to Stephen, a police officer and Helen (née Lang) Kelly, he was the first of fiveChicago mayors fromBridgeport of Chicago's South Side.[5] He did not completegrammar school but entered thelabor force at age ten.[6]
Kelly was the chief engineer of the Chicago Sanitary District in the 1920s. He was sponsored byPatrick Nash, the owner of a sewer-contracting company that did millions of dollars of business with the city.[7]
In March 1924, Kelly became president of the South Park Commission.[8] Upon his election he declared the end to an era of "Deenen Republicans", a faction of South Side Republicans allied withRobert R. McCormick which had lost control of the South Park Commission in the March 1924 municipal elections.[8]
He presided over the completion and opening ofSoldier Field, which was built and operated by the South Park Commission.[8]
Kelly organized many public ceremonies and events hosted by the venue.[8] He made the venue the site of fundraisers and other events for charities and organizations which were supported by the Democratic Party.[8]
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Following the assassination of MayorAnton Cermak, Kelly was hand-picked by his friend, Patrick Nash, Chairman of theCook County Democratic Party, to be the Democratic-backed candidate in the City Council's vote on a successor for Cermak.[9] Together, Kelly and Nash built one of the most powerful, and most corrupt, big-city political organizations, called the "Kelly-Nash Machine".[citation needed]
Kelly was mayor during the 1933–34 Chicago World's Fair (Century of Progress), which took place during theGreat Depression and included the first officialMajor League Baseball All-Star Game; Kelly initiated the idea of holding a major sporting event for the fair to theChicago Tribune. Kelly was famous for banningNelson Algren's 1942 novelNever Come Morning from theChicago Public Library; the ban remained in force for decades due to the outcry byChicago Polonia upon its release.[citation needed]
From 1945 until 1947, Kelly served as president of theUnited States Conference of Mayors.[10]
In 1937, the city received a grant and loan from theWorks Progress Administration to begin construction on subways, with a groundbreaking being held December 17, 1938 for the city'sfirst subway. The WPA funding would only partially cover the total cost of the subway (ultimately working out to 3/4 of the total cost).[11] Kelly was also able to obtain WPA financing for projects such as a refurbishment ofMidway Airport and roadway improvements.[11]
In 1945, theNational Education Association released a report onChicago Public Schools that deeply condemned the politicization of its administration and of unethical practices by its leadership. In response to this, in March 1946,North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools threatened to revoke itsaccreditation of the city's public high schools. On April 1, 1946, Mayor Kelly created an advisory committee to address the problems in the Chicago Public Schools. The committee was led byHenry Townley Heald, and Kelly pledged that he would follow the recommendations that the committee would issue. The committee approved a majority decision on June 18, 1946, which made recommendations to change the laws dictating the administration of Chicago Public School and called for the resignationssuperintendent of Chicago Public SchoolsWilliam Johnson and the entirety of theChicago Board of Education. Kelly accepted all of the recommendations of the committee except their recommendation that the entire school board resign. However, in the wake of this controversy, many school board members did resign. The individuals to fill the vacancies were selected through recommendations issued by the advisory committee led by Heald. Ultimately, McCahey would retire from the board in May 1947. Kelly's successor,Martin H. Kennelly, would keep the practice of having a screening committee recommend individuals to be appointed to the Chicago Board of Education.[12]
During Kelly's tenure, the city was finally able to unify public transit with the establishment of theChicago Transit Authority.[11]
A 1994 survey of experts on Chicago politics saw Kelly ranked as one of the ten best mayors in the city's history (up to that time).[4]
In1947, Kelly acquiesced to the Cook County Democratic Party's decision toslate a candidate with reform credentials for mayor of Chicago, and was succeeded by Martin H. Kennelly.[13]
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Kelly was serving as Democratic National Committeeman from Illinois at the time of his death.[14]
Kelly died in 1950 at age 74 and was interred inCalvary Cemetery inEvanston, Illinois.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Chicago 1933–1947 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
