Frederick Lundin
Encyclopedia
Frederick Lundin was a U.S. Representative
from Illinois
and a Republican Party political boss in Chicago.
, Ödeshög Municipality
, Östergötland County
Sweden
, Lundin immigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois during 1880. After completing his academic studies, he served as president of Lundin & Co., manufacturing chemists.
from Illinois in 1904. In 1908 Lundin was elected as a Republican
Congressman to the 61st United States Congress
from Illinois' 7th congressional district, a Chicago seat. He was a one-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 political boss in Chicago. Richard Norton Smith
describes Lundin as, "A Lorimer
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 Ale, an all-purpose tonic concocted from juniper berries." (The Colonel by Richard Norton Smith. Pg 183. 1997. Houghton Mifflin.) Lundin was instrumental in the election of Big Bill 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. Lundin died in Beverly Hills, California
on August 20, 1947 and was interred in Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 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,...
and a Republican Party political boss in Chicago.
Background
Born in the parish of Västra Tollstad, HästholmenHästholmen
Hästholmen is a locality situated in Ödeshög Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 372 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
, Ödeshög Municipality
Ödeshög Municipality
Ödeshög Municipality is a municipality in Östergötland County, Sweden. The seat is situated in the small town of Ödeshög.The coat of arms was created in 1972 at the time the modern municipalities of Sweden were created...
, Östergötland County
Östergötland County
Östergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Lundin immigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois during 1880. After completing his academic studies, he served as president of Lundin & Co., manufacturing chemists.
Career
Lundin served as a member of the Illinois State Senate from 1894 - 1898. He was later selected to serve as an alternate delegate to the Republican National ConventionRepublican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
from Illinois in 1904. In 1908 Lundin was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Congressman to the 61st United States Congress
61st United States Congress
The Sixty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of...
from Illinois' 7th congressional district, a Chicago seat. He was a one-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 political boss in Chicago. Richard Norton Smith
Richard Norton Smith
Richard Norton Smith is an American historian and author specializing in US presidents.-Life:Born in Leominster, Massachusetts, in 1953, Smith graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1975 with a degree in government...
describes Lundin as, "A Lorimer
William Lorimer
William Lorimer is the name of:*William Lorimer , an American Politician and member of Congress*William Laughton Lorimer , a Scottish scholar, famous for translating the New Testament into the Scots language...
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 Ale, an all-purpose tonic concocted from juniper berries." (The Colonel by Richard Norton Smith. Pg 183. 1997. Houghton Mifflin.) Lundin was instrumental in the election of Big Bill Thompson
William Hale Thompson
William Hale Thompson was Mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and again from 1927 to 1931. Known as "Big Bill", Thompson was the last Republican to serve as Mayor of Chicago, and ranks among the most unethical mayors in American history.Thompson was born in Boston, Massachusetts to William Hale...
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. Lundin died in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
on August 20, 1947 and was interred in Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census...
.