Martin H. Kennelly

Martin H. Kennelly
Kennelly in 1949
47th Mayor of Chicago
In office
April 15, 1947 – April 20, 1955
Preceded byEdward Joseph Kelly
Succeeded byRichard J. Daley
10th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office
1952–1953
Preceded byDavid L. Lawrence
Succeeded byThomas A. Burke
Personal details
Born
Martin Henry Kennelly

(1887-08-11)August 11, 1887
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 1961(1961-11-29) (aged 74)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery
(Evanston, Illinois, U.S.)
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materDe La Salle Institute
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
RankCaptain
Battles/warsWorld War I

Martin Henry Kennelly (August 11, 1887 – November 29, 1961) was an American politician and businessman. He served as the 47th[1] Mayor of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois from April 15, 1947 until April 20, 1955. Kennelly was a member of the Democratic Party. According to biographer Peter O'Malley, he was chosen as mayor by a scandal-burdened Democratic machine that needed a reformer on top of the ticket. Kennelly was a wealthy businessman and civic leader, active in Irish and Catholic circles. As a long-time opponent of machine politics he accepted the nomination on condition the machine would not pressure him for patronage and that he did not have to play a leadership role in the party. This gave him a non-partisan image that satisfied the reform element.[2] As mayor he avoided partisanship and concentrated on building infrastructure and upgrading the city bureaucracy. He worked to extend civil service; he reorganized inefficient departments. The city took ownership of the mass transit system. He obtained federal aid for slum clearance and public housing projects and for new expressways construction.[2] At his death, Mayor Richard J. Daley, the party leader who defeated Kennelly in a bitter primary battle in 1955, called him, "a great Chicagoan who loved his city" and ordered City hall flags placed at half-mast.[3]

  1. ^ "Chicago Mayors". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  2. ^ a b O'Malley, (1980).
  3. ^ "Hold Rites Saturday for Martin Kennelly". Chicago Tribune. November 30, 1961. pp. 1, 16. Retrieved June 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.