Edward Joseph Kelly
37th Mayor of Chicago
Party:
Democrat
Elected:
1st term:
April 13, 1933
Elected by City Council to complete unexpired term of Mayor Cermak
2nd term:
February 26, 1935 (primary)
Defeated Martin Powroznik, John P. O’Meara and James Fred Robertson
April 2, 1935 (general)
Defeated Emil C. Wetten (Republican) and Newton Jenkins (Third Party)
3rd term:
February 28, 1939 (primary)
Defeated Thomas J. Courtney, James Fred Robertson and James J. Ryan
April 4, 1939 (general)
Defeated Dwight H. Green (Republican) and Arthur P. Reilly (Third Party)
4th term:
February 23, 1943 (primary)
Defeated John S. Boyle and Billy Patts
April 6, 1943 (general)
Defeated George B. McKibbin (Republican)
Inaugurations:
1st term: April 17, 1933: Inaugural Address
2nd term: April 8, 1935: Inaugural Address
3rd term: April 12, 1939: Inaugural Address
4th term: April 9, 1943: Inaugural Address
Terms of office:
1st term: 1933-1935
2nd term: 1935-1939
3rd term: 1939-1943
4th term: 1943-1947
Birth:
May 1, 1876
Chicago, IL
Personal:
Became newsboy at 9, cash boy in a department store at 11, office boy for a broker at 14, and later undertaker and surveyor
Married Mary Roche, who died in 1918, with whom he had a son who died at age 14
1922 – Married Margaret E. Kirk of Kansas City, MO; together they adopted 3 children
1922 – Became south park commissioner, eventually president of the board until elected mayor
Served as chief engineer of the Sanitary District
1944 – Took over post of county chairman
Death:
October 20, 1950
Chicago, IL
Gravesite:
Calvary Cemetery, Chicago
Sources:
Grossman, James R., Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff, editors. Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004.
Chicago Daily Tribune, April 14, 1933, pg. 1.
Chicago Daily Tribune, Oct. 21, 1950, pg. 1+.
