William Hale Thompson, striking a speaking pose, looking toward the camera and holding up one finger
1 2019-07-24T14:03:20+00:00 Kate Flynn 7a93418b93b9db509597a67ae6311be88dcb38d6 13 1 This photo of William Hale Thompson was taken shortly before his first election as Chicago mayor. plain 2019-07-24T14:03:20+00:00 DN-0009693 Chicago Daily News, Inc., photographer. [ca. 1915 Feb. 5] Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum Kate Flynn 7a93418b93b9db509597a67ae6311be88dcb38d6This page is referenced by:
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2019-07-24T14:03:17+00:00
Mayor Thompson Re-elected
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William Hale Thompson is re-elected Mayor of Chicago.
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2019-07-24T14:03:17+00:00
04-01-1919
On April 1, 1919, William Hale Thompson was re-elected Mayor of Chicago. William Hale Thompson, also known as "Big Bill Thompson" was born May 14, 1869, in Boston. He came to Chicago in 1892 and was elected Alderman of the 2nd Ward in 1901. He first ran for mayor in 1915 on the Republican ticket.
Under Thompson’s administration, Chicago gained a reputation as a “wide open town” where mobsters and bootleggers could operate freely. Mayor Thompson padded his pockets during his terms with campaign donations, including contributions from Al Capone. Despite his corruption, his racial attitudes were somewhat progressive. Thompson won 80 percent of the Black vote in the 1919 election, and returned the favor by giving many in Chicago's Black Belt patronage jobs. This angered white voters and may have been a factor in the race riots later that summer.
Thompson's second term ended in 1923, but he won a third term in 1927. He died on March 19, 1944 in Chicago, and is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery. He is the last Republican mayor of Chicago to date.
