From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Martin H. Kennelly
47th Mayor of Chicago
In office 1947 – 1955
Preceded by	Edward J. Kelly
Succeeded by	Richard J. Daley
Born	August 11, 1887(1887-08-11) Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died	November 29, 1961 (aged 74) Chicago, Illinois, USA
Political party	Democratic
Religion	Catholic

Martin H. Kennelly (August 11, 1887 – November 29, 1961) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1947–1955) for the Democratic Party.

Kennelly was born in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood, the son of a packing house worker. He served in the United States Army during World War I with the rank of Captain. After the war he returned to Chicago and entered the moving and storage business, and lived on north end of Lake Shore Drive (5555 North Sheridan Road). He was the founder and first president of Allied Van Lines, a trade association that united independent local moving and storage companies under a single brand.

A contemporary of Marshall Field, a prominent Chicago retailer, Kennelly's moving company got the contract for Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History. After retiring, he was involved in social and civic affairs. He was the president of the Lincoln Park Zoo and was also prominent in the American Red Cross.

When the city administration of Edward J. Kelly was threatened with defeat by corruption, scandal and Kelly's liberal integrationist policies the Cook County Democratic Party Machine responded by dumping Kelly and slating the "reformist" Kennelly in his place. Kennelly returned to the Bridgeport neighborhood and ran for mayor from an apartment in the predominantly Irish American working-class community of his childhood. Kennelly was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1947 and re-elected in 1951.

Kennelly proved to be too independent and reform oriented for his regular Democratic Party sponsors and was dumped by the party bosses at the 1955 endorsement slating in favor of Richard J. Daley. Daley soundly defeated Kennelly in the 1955 Democratic Primary and went on to election in 1955.

Death

Kennelly died in 1961, aged 74, and was interred at Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Illinois.

Mayors of Chicago Ogden · Morris · Raymond · Lloyd · F. C. Sherman · Raymond · Garrett · A. Sherman · Garrett · Chapin · Curtiss · Woodworth · Curtiss · Gurnee · Gray · Milliken · Boone · Dyer · Wentworth · Haines · Wentworth · Rumsey · F. C. Sherman · Rice · Mason · Medill · Bond 1 · Colvin · Hoyne 2 · 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 1 Acting officeholder.    2 Election declared null and void.