Edward Joseph Kelly

Edward Joseph Kelly
46th Mayor of Chicago
In office
April 8, 1933 – 1947
Preceded by Frank J. Corr
Succeeded by Martin H. Kennelly
Personal details
Born (1876-05-01)May 1, 1876
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died October 20, 1950(1950-10-20) (aged 74)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Residence Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Religion Roman Catholic
For the Catholic cleric, see Edward Kelly (bishop).

Edward Joseph Kelly (May 1, 1876 – October 20, 1950) served as chief engineer of the Chicago Sanitary District in the 1920s, and later as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1933–1947); he was a Democrat.

Born to Stephen and Helen (née Lang) Kelly, he was the first of five Chicago mayors from Bridgeport of Chicago's South Side.[1] Kelly was the chief engineer of the Chicago Sanitary District in the 1920s. He was sponsored by Patrick Nash, the owner of a sewer-contracting company that did millions of dollars of business with the city.[2] He subsequently became president of the South Park Board, a position that presided over the building of Soldier Field. Under his tenure Soldier Field cost $8 million, while a similar Los Angeles stadium only cost $1.7 million.[2]

Kelly was Mayor of Chicago during the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair (Century of Progress) which took place during the Great Depression which included the successful playing of the first official Major League Baseball All-Star Game; Kelly initiated for holding a major sport event for the fair to the Chicago Tribune. Kelly was famous for banning Nelson Algren's 1942 book Never Come Morning, a novel, from the Chicago Public Library; the ban remained in force for decades due to the outcry by Chicago Polonia upon its release.[3]

Following the assassination of Mayor Anton Cermak, Kelly was hand-picked by his friend, Patrick Nash, Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, for the mayoral election of 1933.[4] Together, Kelly and Nash built one of the most powerful, and most corrupt, big city political organizations, called the "Kelly-Nash Machine". In 1947, Kelly acquiesced to the Cook County Democratic Party's decision to slate a candidate with reform credentials for mayor of Chicago and was succeeded by Martin H. Kennelly.

Death

Kelly died in 1950 and was interred in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Illinois.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Political History of Bridgeport". University of Illinois - Chicago. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  2. 1 2 "History of Chicago from Trading Post to Metropolis (Module 3 Chapter 2-Chicago During the Great Depression)". Roosevelt University. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  3. ↑ Reader Archive-Extract: 1998/981120/ALGREN
  4. ↑ "Edward J. Kelly Elected as New Mayor of Chicago – Takes Oath of Office After Action by City Council". Chicago Tribune. 1933-04-14. p. 38. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
Political offices
Preceded by
Frank J. Corr		 Mayor of Chicago
1933–1947 		Succeeded by
Martin H. Kennelly
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