Эдвард Джозеф Келли: Чикаго мэрі және саяси өмірі

American politician

Edward Joseph Kelly (May 1, 1876October 20, 1950) was an American politician who served as the 46th Mayor of Chicago from April 17, 1933 until April 15, 1947. Prior to being mayor of Chicago, Kelly served as chief engineer of the Chicago Sanitary District during the 1920s.

Born to Stephen, a police officer and Helen (née Lang) Kelly, he was the first of five Chicago mayors from Bridgeport of Chicago's South Side. He did not complete grammar school but entered the labor force at age ten. Kelly was the chief engineer of the Chicago Sanitary District in the 1920s. He was sponsored by Patrick Nash, the owner of a sewer contracting company that did millions of dollars of business with the city.

In March 1924, Kelly became president of the South Park Commission. Kelly organized many public ceremonies and events hosted by the venue. Together, Kelly and Nash built one of the most powerful, and most corrupt, big city political organizations, called the "Kelly Nash Machine". Kelly was Mayor of Chicago during the 1933–34 Chicago World's Fair (Century of Progress) which took place during the Great Depression which included the successful playing of the first official Major League Baseball All Star Game; Kelly initiated for holding a major sport event for the fair to the Chicago Tribune. Kelly was famous for banning Nelson Algren's 1942 book Never Come Morning, a novel, from the Chicago Public Library; the ban remained in force for decades due to the outcry by Chicago Polonia upon its release. From 1945 until 1947, Kelly served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors. In 1937, the city received a grant and loan from the Works Progress Administration to begin construction on subways, with a groundbreaking being held December 17, 1938 for the city's first subway. The WPA funding would only partially cover the total cost of the subway (ultimately working out to 3/4 of the total cost). Kelly was also able to obtain WPA financing for projects such as a refurbishment of Midway Airport and roadway improvements. During Kelly's tenure, the city was finally able to unify public transit with the establishment of the Chicago Transit Authority. Kelly was serving as Democratic National Committeeman from Illinois at the time of his death.

Kelly died in 1950 at age 74 and was interred in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Illinois.