Frederick Lundin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's7th district | |
| In office March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1911 | |
| Preceded by | Philip Knopf |
| Succeeded by | Frank Buchanan |
| Member of theIllinois Senate | |
| In office 1894–1898 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Fredrik Lundin Larsson (1868-05-18)May 18, 1868 |
| Died | August 20, 1947(1947-08-20) (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Forest Home Cemetery |
| Party | Republican |
Frederick Lundin (bornFredrik Lundin Larsson; May 18, 1868 – August 20, 1947) was aU.S. Representative fromIllinois and aRepublican Party wardboss inChicago. He played an instrumental role in the successful mayoral elections ofWilliam Hale Thompson and the creation of Thompson's patronage system. He also built up the organized syndicate later taken over byAl Capone in 1922.[1][2][3][4]
Frederick Lundin was born Fredrik Lundin Larsson[5] in the parish of Västra Tollstad,Hästholmen,Ödeshög Municipality,Östergötland County,Sweden. His parents were Lars Fredrik Lundin and Fredrika Larsdotter. He had two sisters, Lovisa (1854–1873)[6] and Elin. He immigrated with his parents and sister when he was a child to the United States and settled inChicago, Illinois, in 1880. After completing his academic studies, he served as president of Lundin & Co. manufacturer of Lundin's Juniper Ade, which was made fromJuniper berry extract.[7][8]
Lundin served as a member of theIllinois State Senate from 1894 to 1898. He was later selected to serve as an alternate delegate to theRepublican National Convention from Illinois in 1904. In 1908 Lundin was elected as aRepublicanCongressman to the61st United States Congress from Illinois' 7th congressional district inNear North Side, Chicago. He was aone-term congressman from March 4, 1909, until March 3, 1911, and was defeated for reelection in 1910. He resumed manufacturing interests and became involved as a Republican party ward boss in Chicago.Richard Norton Smith describes Lundin as:
ALorimer protege esteemed for his organizational gifts and excused for his eccentricities ... For archaeologists of political roguery, he is the fossil evidence that democracy and flim-flaming go hand in hand. A man of many poses, Lundin referred to himself with contrived modesty as "the Poor Swede." Before entering politics, he had thrived as a patent medicine salesman peddling Juniper Ade, an all-purpose tonic concocted from juniper berries.
— Richard Norton Smith[9]
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In exchange for his supporters voting as he told them, Lundin arranged jobs mainly in the municipal sector.Lundin was instrumental in the election ofWilliam Hale Thompson as mayor in 1915 and succeeded in getting Thompson to appoint over 30,000 supporters to the city payroll in a form of political graft as all were required to kick back part of their pay to Lundin's organization. In 1922, Lundin was indicted on a charge of embezzling tax money. Although he was acquitted, this was the beginning of the end of his career as a political boss.[10]
Lundin died inBeverly Hills, California, on August 20, 1947, and was interred inForest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois.
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 7th congressional district 1909-1911 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
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