Edward Joseph Kelly

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Edward Joseph Kelly
37th Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of the City of Chicago
In office 1933 – 1947
Preceded by	Frank J. Corr
Succeeded by	Martin H. Kennelly
Born	May 1, 1876 Chicago, Illinois
Died	October 20, 1950 Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Democrat
Residence	Chicago, Illinois
Religion	Catholic

Edward Joseph Kelly (May 1, 1876 – October 20, 1950; buried in Calvary Cemetery). Served as chief engineer of the Chicago sanitary district in the 1920s, and later as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1933-1947) for the Democratic Party. During this time he reduced the city's debt by $100,000,000, leaving it solvent.

Following the assassination of Mayor Anton Cermak Kelly was hand picked by his friend, Patrick Nash, Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, for the mayoralty election of 1933. Together, Kelly and Nash built one of the most powerful, and most corrupt, big city political organizations, called the "Kelly-Nash Machine."

Kelly was a fiercely loyal New Deal Democrat during the Great Depression. During the 1940's Kelly's administration was shaken by a series of major scandals, and further undermined by Kelly's integrationist views on race and support for open housing in the highly segregated city of Chicago.

In 1947 Kelly acquiesced to the Cook County Democratic Party's decision to slate a candidate with reform credentials for the office of Mayor and was succeeded by Martin H. Kennelly.

Preceded by Frank J. Corr

Mayor of Chicago 1933–1947

Succeeded by Martin H. Kennelly

Mayors of Chicago

Ogden • Morris • Raymond • Lloyd • F.C. Sherman • Raymond • Garrett • A. Sherman • Garrett • Chapin • Curtiss • Woodworth • Gurnee • Gray • Milliken • Boone • Dyer • Wentworth • Haines • Wentworth • Rumsey • F.C. Sherman • Rice • Mason • Medill • (Bond) • Colvin • (Hoyne) • Heath • Harrison, Sr. • Roche • Cregier • Washburne • Harrison, Sr. • Swift • Hopkins • Swift • Harrison, Jr. • Dunne • Busse • Harrison, Jr. • Thompson • Dever • Thompson • Cermak • Corr • Kelly • Kennelly • R.J. Daley • Bilandic • Byrne • Washington • Orr • Sawyer • R.M. Daley