Edward Joseph Kelly
Encyclopedia
Edward Joseph Kelly served as chief engineer of the Chicago sanitary district in the 1920s, and later as mayor of Chicago
, Illinois
(1933–1947) for the Democratic Party.
Born to Stephen and Helen (née Lang) Kelly, he was the first of five Chicago Mayors from Bridgeport
, the first man to voluntarily leave the office of Cook County Democratic Committee Chairman, and he distinguished himself as mayor by reducing the city's debt by $100,000,000, leaving it solvent.
Kelly was the chief engineer of the Sanitary district in the 20s under the sponsorship of Patrick Nash
who owned a sewer contracting company that did millions of dollars of business with the city. 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.
Kelly was Mayor of Chicago during the 1933-34 Century of Progress
. He was famous for banning Nelson Algren
's book Never Come Morning from the Chicago Public Library
which remained in force for decades over the massive outcry by Chicago Polonia upon its release.
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 mayoralty election of 1933. 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 the office of Mayor and was succeeded by Martin H. Kennelly
.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
(1933–1947) for the Democratic Party.
Born to Stephen and Helen (née Lang) Kelly, he was the first of five Chicago Mayors from Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Chicago
Bridgeport, one of 77 community areas of Chicago, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. It is bounded, generally, on the west and north by the Chicago River, on the east by Canal Street, and on the south by Pershing Road.-History:...
, the first man to voluntarily leave the office of Cook County Democratic Committee Chairman, and he distinguished himself as mayor by reducing the city's debt by $100,000,000, leaving it solvent.
Kelly was the chief engineer of the Sanitary district in the 20s under the sponsorship of Patrick Nash
Patrick Nash
Patrick A. Nash was a political boss in the early and mid-twentieth century in Chicago, which is in Cook County, Illinois, United States. He was in large part responsible for consolidating what became the Chicago Democratic political machine, which was regarded as the first political machine in...
who owned a sewer contracting company that did millions of dollars of business with the city. He subsequently became president of the South Park Board, a position that presided over the building of Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. Under his tenure Soldier Field cost $8 million, while a similar Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
stadium only cost $1.7 million.
Kelly was Mayor of Chicago during the 1933-34 Century of Progress
Century of Progress
A Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation...
. He was famous for banning Nelson Algren
Nelson Algren
Nelson Algren was an American writer.-Early life:Algren was born Nelson Ahlgren Abraham in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Goldie and Gerson Abraham. At the age of three he moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois where they lived in a working-class, immigrant neighborhood on the South Side...
's book Never Come Morning from the Chicago Public Library
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 79 branches, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the city....
which remained in force for decades over the massive outcry by Chicago Polonia upon its release.
Following the assassination of Mayor Anton Cermak
Anton Cermak
Anton Joseph Cermak was the mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1931 until his assassination by Giuseppe Zangara in 1933.-Early life and career:...
Kelly was hand picked by his friend, Patrick Nash, Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, for the mayoralty election of 1933. 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 the office of Mayor and was succeeded by Martin H. Kennelly
Martin H. Kennelly
Martin H. Kennelly served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Democratic Party.-Early Life:...
.