Richard J. Daley
Richard J. Daley was a prominent American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 until his death in 1976. He began his political career as a teenager and rose to significant power, eventually becoming the chair of the Cook County Democratic Party in 1953. Daley was known for his strong control over the Democratic Party in Illinois, leveraging a network of precinct captains and patronage to secure loyalty and votes. His administration was marked by significant urban development projects, including the construction of the Sears Tower and the rebuilding of McCormick Place.
Despite his accomplishments, Daley faced increasing challenges in the 1970s, including a decline in his influence within the state party and rising scandals surrounding his administration, although he personally was never implicated in wrongdoing. His later years saw him regain some power, particularly over city jobs and party leadership. He is often regarded as a key figure in the history of urban political machines, with a legacy that reflects both the efficiencies and the issues of such systems, including corruption and racial segregation. Daley passed away on December 20, 1976, shortly after the election that year.
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Subject Terms
Richard J. Daley
- Born: May 15, 1902
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: December 20, 1976
- Place of death: Chicago, Illinois
Identification Mayor of Chicago, 1955-1976
Daley epitomized the political boss in his role as head of the Democratic Party machine in Chicago for two decades.
After a career in politics that began when he was a teenager, Richard J. Daley was elected chair of the Cook County Democratic Party in 1953 and then mayor of Chicago in 1955. After years of being portrayed as the mayor of the most effectively run city in the United States, as well as one of the most powerful Democrats in the country, Daley began to experience increasingly greater challenges during the 1970’s.
Daley’s power came from his control over some one million votes through a system of precinct captains, whose loyalty was maintained through city and county patronage positions and ward bosses throughout Cook County. He won his fifth term as mayor in April, 1971. During the early 1970’s, his most significant accomplishments involved major downtown construction, such as the Sears Tower and the rebuilding of McCormick Place, as well as highway construction.
Despite these successes, his power within the party in Illinois was greatly reduced by the selection of a rival, Daniel Walker, instead of Daley to run for governor on the party ticket in 1972 and the rejection of his preferred candidate for state attorney. Daley did not even lead the Illinois delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1972 despite having served as host to the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968. In addition, scandals involving his administration began to mount, including many within his own political machine, though Mayor Daley himself was never implicated in any wrongdoing.
Though he had a stroke in June, 1974, he was reelected mayor once more in 1975. He then reasserted his power over the city by gaining control over forty thousand formerly civil service jobs, thanks to the pliant city council. He successfully engineered the defeat of his rival, the incumbent governor of Illinois, in the party primary in 1976. He also regained his place leading the party delegation to the 1976 Democratic National Convention. He died shortly after the 1976 election, on December 20.
Impact
Richard J. Daley was perhaps the last of the great leaders of urban political machines. He transformed Chicago into a thriving city with modern architecture. However, he was also a tyrannical ruler who presided over one of the most racially segregated cities in the country. His tenure demonstrated both the strengths (efficiency, political success) and weaknesses (corruption, cronyism) of machine politics.
Bibliography
Cohen, Adam, and Elizabeth Taylor. American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley—His Battle for Chicago and the Nation. Boston: Back Bay Books, 2001.
Royko, Mike. Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago. New York: Plume Books, 1988.