Tom Pendergast | |
---|---|
Chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Party | |
In office 1925–1939 | |
Member of the Kansas City, Missouri City Council | |
In office 1911–1916 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Thomas Joseph Pendergast July 22, 1872 St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. |
Died | January 26, 1945 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | (aged 72)
Resting place | Calvary Cemetery Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Caroline Snyder (m. 1911) |
Relations | James Pendergast (brother) |
Children | 3 |
Thomas Joseph Pendergast (July 22, 1872 – January 26, 1945), also known as T. J. Pendergast, was an American political boss who controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, from 1925 to 1939.
Pendergast only briefly held elected office, as an alderman, but his capacity as chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Party allowed him to use his large network of Irish family and friends to help the election of politicians, in some cases by voter fraud, and to hand out government contracts and patronage jobs. He became wealthy in the process, but his addiction to gambling, especially horse racing, later led to a large accumulation of personal debts.
In 1939, he was convicted of income tax evasion and served 15 months in a federal prison. The Pendergast organization helped to launch the political career of future president Harry S. Truman, which caused Truman's early enemies to dub him "the senator from Pendergast".[1]