Richard J. Daley Collection, Collection Description, 1870-2010, bulk 1953-1976

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  • Related Archival Collections
  • Collection ID Coll MS D141
  • Creator Names Daley, Richard J., 1902-1976.
  • Title Richard J. Daley collection.
  • Physical description 700 linear ft.
  • Collection arrangement The collection is divided into six series: Political Office Series, Democratic Party Series, Personal Series, Audio/Visual Materials Series, Publications Series, and Honors, Awards, Commemorative Items, and Gifts Series. Some series have additional subseries and arrangement varies by series or subseries.
  • Access and usage restrictions Restrictions are noted in the finding aid.
  • Collection summary
    • The Richard J. Daley Collection contains materials documenting the political career and personal life of Richard J. Daley, 39th Mayor of Chicago. The collection contains a wide variety of formats including documents, publications, ephemera, memorabilia, artifacts, and photographs dating from 1870-2010. The bulk of the collection dates from Daley's terms as mayor of the city of Chicago and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party (1953-1976) but material from his family life, his earlier political positions as State Senator, State Representative, Director of Revenue, and Cook County Clerk are included. The majority of the material came from the mayoral office in City Hall, the offices of the Cook County Democratic Party, and the Daley home. Other material was collected by his wife, Eleanor, after his death in 1976. A small amount of material was also received by the family from political colleagues and friends and added to the collection before donation. Due to considerable overlapping between series, the researcher should consult multiple series.
    • Series I: Political Office: The Political Office series contains material related to Richard J. Daley's career in public office and contains several sub-series. Series 1, subseries 1: This subseries contains primarily office files from Richard J. Daley's mayoral office. The subseries also includes a smaller amount of material pertaining to Daley's career as Cook County Deputy County Treasurer, Illinois State Representative, Illinois State Senator, Illinois Director of Revenue, and Cook County Clerk. The material was received by the library arranged by chronological year and the original order of the yearly files and their folder titles have been retained whenever possible. Materials in this subseries consist primarily of correspondence from politicians, local constituents, and others and carbon copies of responses by Daley. The subseries also contains reports, speeches, budget statements, meeting minutes, press releases, memos, newspaper clippings, and other formats of material related to Daley's activities and the issues with which his office dealt. Series I, sub-series 2: Political Personalities Papers: This subseries contains correspondence from and to prominent national and international politicians and dignitaries as well as correspondence with celebrities. The majority of this material was removed from other series prior to donation to the library. This separation has been retained. A small amount of ephemera is included in cases where it was originally found with the correspondence. Prominent figures included in this series include Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter, members of the Kennedy family including Joseph, Robert, and Edward Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, NASA astronauts, and others. Invitations and programs for several White House events are also included. Series I, subseries 3: the Colonel 'Jack' Reilly Papers: This subseries contains a small collection of files from the office of Colonel Jacob Reilly, Director of Special Events for the City of Chicago (1955-1977). This sub-series contains materials related to the planning of special events such as inauguration ceremonies, presidential visits, parades for visiting astronauts, and the visit of the Beatles to Chicago in 1964. The files arrived arranged alphabetically and cover the years from 1957-1977. Significant gaps in years and in completeness within each year are evident. Series I, subseries 4: Political Office Ephemera and Memorabilia: This sub-series contains miscellaneous items such as pamphlets, programs, membership cards, tickets, ribbons and buttons, and other memorabilia that relate to Daley's career in public office or to city events. These items are arranged chronologically. The materials date from 1919-1976, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1940s-1970s. Series I, sub-series 5: Political Office Artifacts: This subseries contains items believed to have been housed in the mayor's office in City Hall. They include desk furnishings and gifts and other items displayed in the office. Most items are undated, although many of the gifts carry dates on commemorative labels. They are believed to have been displayed or used from 1955-1976.
    • Series II: Democratic Party Files: This series contains materials related to Richard J. Daley's activities as a member of the Democratic Party and particularly as Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee. It contains two subseries. Series II, subseries 1: Democratic Party Office Papers: This subseries contains documents believed to have been used in the Cook County Democratic Party headquarters. These papers were received arranged chronologically by year and alphabetically within each year. The subseries mainly consists of correspondence from other politicians and from local constituents to the mayor and carbon copies of his responses. A substantial amount of the correspondence relates to recommendations for political office positions. A large amount of material also pertains to political campaigns, primarily of Richard J. Daley but also for other Democratic candidates, and elections. The materials cover the period 1938-1976, with the bulk of the subseries from 1953-1976. Series II, subseries 2: Democratic Office Ephemera and Memorabilia: This subseries primarily contains campaign ephemera and memorabilia that were received separately from the Papers subseries. They pertain to Richard J. Daley's campaigns for office but also include other local and national campaigns. The subseries also includes materials from the National Democratic Party and its conventions, including the 1956 convention held in Chicago. Materials include posters, buttons, ribbons, flyers, vote tallies, song lyrics, poems, Party event programs, invitations, newspaper endorsements and clippings, and other materials related to Daley's activities with the Democratic Party. The materials date from 1923-1976, with the bulk of materials dating from 1955-1976.
    • Series III: Personal Papers: The Personal Papers series contains material relating to the Daley and Guillfoyle families, the education of Richard J. Daley, his marriage to Eleanor Daley and his seven children, and memorial material relating to Richard J. and Eleanor's death. Series III, subseries 1: Personal Ephemera and Memorabilia: This subseries contains birth, baptismal, marriage, and death certificates for various family members, Richard J. Daley's school records and diplomas, honorary degrees, a small amount of Richard M. Daley campaign material, and a large collection of memorial materials relating to Richard J. Daley's death. The materials date from 1870-2010 and are arranged topically. Series III, subseries 2: Personal Library: This subseries contains books owned by Richard J. Daley and stored in his office and home. Many are inscribed gifts from authors or political figures. Autographs includes those from John F. Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon B. Johnson, and others. Series III, subseries 3: Personal Artifacts: This subseries contains a small amount of personal items owned by Richard J. Daley, items from his home desk, license plates, and several stuffed fish caught by Daley.
    • Series IV: Audio/Visual Materials: This series contains photographs and assorted films and audio tapes. Series IV, subseries 1: Photographs: This subseries consists of over 6,000 images. It is made up primarily of black and white 8x10 inch photographic prints that document the political career of Richard J. Daley. There are also a small number of negatives, slides, and oversized photographic prints in the collection. The photographs range in date from the 1880s to the 2000s, with the bulk of them from 1955-1976. The series is arranged chronologically from earliest to latest dates, followed by undated items, portraits of Richard J. Daley arranged chronologically, and then finally oversized items arranged alphabetically by subject. Subjects covered in the photographs series include the Daley and Guilfoyle family, the political career of Richard J. Daley from Illinois legislator, to Director of Revenue, to Cook County Clerk, and finally to Mayor of Chicago. Post-death photographs include Richard J. Daley memorial events, such as the Chagall America Windows dedication in 1977, the Richard J. Daley memorial statue dedication in Springfield, Illinois in 1981, and the dedication of the Richard J. Daley branch of the Chicago Public Library in 1989. The post-death photographs also include activities of Eleanor Daley's such as her visits with Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, and Bill Clinton. Also included are a few photographs from Richard J. Daley's son Richard M. Daley's mayoral inauguration in 1989. Notable personalities found in the photographs series include: Richard M. Daley, Adlai Stevenson II, Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, various Popes, Harry S. Truman, Frank Sinatra, Dwight Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth II, Eleanor Roosevelt, various astronauts, Jack Benny, Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon B. Johnson, Edward Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark, various Irish politicians, Cardinal John Cody, Muhammad Ali, Bob Hope, Henry Kissinger, Walter Mondale, Ariel Sharon, John Wayne, Paul Douglas, Neil Hartigan, Marc Chagall, Gerald Ford, Hirohito, Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter, Imelda Marcos, and Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy, Yitzhak Rabin, and Bill Clinton. Series IV, subseries 2: Media: This subseries contains films, VHS tapes, DVDs, and audiotapes that document campaigns and city events and issues. The materials date from 1950-1989. Materials on DVD are available for viewing in the Daley Library. Contact the Special Collections Department for information about access to other media formats.
    • Series V: Publications: The Publications series contains magazine and newspaper articles about Richard J. Daley, the Democratic Party, and other politicians and city issues. The series also contains pamphlets and brochures about city events and some published proceedings of the City Council. The material is arranged topically and loose, unfoldered newspaper clippings are unavailable for research until further processing is completed.
    • Series VI: Honors, Awards, Commemorative Items, and Gifts: This series contains the numerous awards, commendations, and honors that Mayor Richard J. Daley received from a variety of business and civic organizations during his many years in public office. Commemorative memorabilia came from government agencies and private organizations. Mayor Daley also received gifts, primarily artwork, from both private groups and individual Chicago citizens. The series contains plaques, certificates, trophies, sculptures, paintings, drawings, medallions and paperweights. This series is divided into four subseries: Subseries 1: Honors, Awards, Commemorative Items, and Gifts - boxed; Subseries 2: Honors, Awards, Commemorative Items, and Gifts - Paper; Subseries 3: Honors, Awards, Commemorative Items, and Gifts - Oversize plaques; Subseries 4: Trophies, Gifts, Awards - Oversize Individual Artifacts.
  • Biographical or Historical Note
    • Richard Joseph Daley was a six-term mayor of the city of Chicago (1955-1976) and the influential chair of the Cook County Democratic Central Committee from 1953 until his death in 1976. Described by one writer as "the most powerful local politician America has ever produced," Daley also wielded state and national political influence during his terms in office. Richard J. Daley was the third Chicago mayor to be born in the working-class Irish neighborhood of Bridgeport on the city's Near South Side. The only child of Irish Catholic sheet-metal worker and labor unionist Michael Daley and his wife, Lillian (Dunne) Daley, Richard J. Daley attended Nativity of Our Lord parochial elementary school and graduated in 1919 from De La Salle Institute, a Catholic High School that taught business and clerical skills. Daley worked briefly in the stockyards after graduation and attended college and later night school law classes at DePaul University. He received his law degree in 1933 and in 1936 partnered with Bridgeport lawyer William J. Lynch.
    • Daley's entry into Chicago politics was through the Hamburg Athletic Club, a Bridgeport club active in Chicago election politics. Daley was a member and in 1924 was elected its president. Club sponsor, Alderman and Ward Committeeman Joseph McDonough chose Daley to be his personal ward secretary and a precinct captain in the politically active 11th Ward, where his home and the Club were located. After the 1923 election of Mayor William Dever, Daley began work as a clerk in the City Council. In 1930, McDonough became County Treasurer and Daley became his deputy, shouldering the day-to-day activities of the office. After McDonough's death, Daley continued to work under County Treasurers Thomas D. Nash, Robert M. Sweitzer, and Joseph L. Gill.
    • Following the death of 20-year veteran Michael J. O'Connor in 1936, Daley's knowledge of county finances led to his appointment as Chief Deputy County Comptroller. In that same year, with the backing of McDonough, Daley was elected to his first political office as a write-in Republican candidate to replace the recently deceased state representative, David Shanahan, in the Illinois General Assembly. Immediately after the election, however, Daley returned to the Democratic Party. He remained a lifelong Democrat. In the legislature, Daley supported progressive legislation such as the school lunch program and a fairer state sales tax. In 1938, Daley was elected state senator, and he served as senate minority leader from 1941 to 1946.
    • In 1946, Daley unsuccessfully challenged Republican candidate Elmer Walsh in an election for Cook County Sheriff. Daley's loss was his only electoral defeat in his long political career. In 1948, Daley was appointed Governor Adlai Stevenson's State Director of Revenue. Working out of the State of Illinois building in downtown Chicago, he was an advocate for fiscal and tax reform. In 1950, after the death of the current Clerk, Daley was appointed to fill out the term as Clerk of Cook County. He was successfully elected to a full term in 1950 and re-elected in 1954. As Clerk, Daley's office was responsible for vital records such as business and notary records and for birth, death, and marriage certificates. Daley instituted a number of innovations such as the first county court calendar of law and he streamlined marriage license procedures.
    • During this time Daley was an active participant in Democratic politics, becoming Democratic Ward Committeeman of the influential 11th Ward in the late 1940s. In 1953, he became Chair of the Democratic Central Committee, a powerful position which oversaw slate making for every elected position in the county. In 1955, Daley ran against and beat incumbent Mayor Martin Kennelly and former State Representative Benjamin Adamowski in a bitterly contested primary election and went on to defeat Republican alderman Robert Merriam in the general election, becoming the 39th Mayor of Chicago. In a new tradition, he was sworn in to office by childhood friend, Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, instead of the outgoing mayor. The voters of Chicago re-elected Daley in 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971, and 1975. He served a total of five full terms and one partial term in office - the longest serving mayor until that time.
    • As simultaneous head of the city government and the local Democratic Party, Daley wielded great local, state, and eventually national political influence. Shortly after his first election, Daley recruited new policy professionals to his administration and consolidated his power over the City Council. He transferred city budget initiation from the Council to his comptroller's and budget director's offices, shifted the issuance of city contracts to the city's purchasing agent, won new sales and utility taxing powers, centralized many ward services and limited the ability of council members to grant such potentially lucrative favors as issuing driveway permits. Throughout his tenure, with the exception of a small number of Independents and northwest side Republicans, he faced limited opposition from the aldermen, never losing a vote in the City Council.
    • In 1970, he reduced state power in Chicago by lobbying for and gaining "home rule" status, which allowed the city to impose all but income taxes without state legislative approval. As mayor, Daley focused on municipal services and the development of the city center, contributing to the oft-cited image of Chicago as "the city that works." During his first term, the city added new garbage trucks, sewers, street and alley lighting, downtown parking facilities and more police and fire personnel. Under his watch, the Central District Filtration Plant (1968), the largest in the world, provided fluoridated water to the central and north sides and the South Water Filtration Plant was expanded. In 1975, the Deep Tunnel project (Tunnel and Reservoir Plan) was begun to relieve flooding in the metropolitan area. The city's first bicycle paths and first city-sponsored neighborhood health clinics were initiated and neighborhood cleanup campaigns were begun. Soon after his first election the annual Southtown Parade in honor of St. Patrick's Day was moved downtown and the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union began a tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green in celebration. Venetian Nights also attracted crowds to the riverfront. In 1959, an International Trade Fair celebrating the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway was attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. The city sponsored downtown parades for the crews of Apollo 10, 11, and 13 and hosted visits by Sean F. Lemass, the first Prime Minister of Ireland, Eleanor Roosevelt, Levi Eshkol, Premier of Israel, King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark, numerous politicians, and celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Danny Thomas, and Jack Benny.
    • Under Daley, new building projects dramatically changed the physical character of the city. Daley's administration presided over the construction of the Northwest (1960), Dan Ryan (1962), Congress (1964), and Southwest (1964) expressways, the extension of Wacker Drive, and the expansion of the North and South Outer Drives. In 1966 a new Civic Center was dedicated in downtown Chicago and in 1967 it was graced by the gift of an outdoor sculpture commissioned from artist Pablo Picasso. Other notable outdoor artwork followed, including Chagall's Four Seasons (1974) and Calder's Flamingo (1974). The construction of the massive McCormick Place Convention Center (1960) on the lakefront and the enlargement of O'Hare International Airport brought travelers and business to the city. The O'Hare dedication (1963) was attended by President John F. Kennedy. The Sears Tower (1973), IBM Plaza, Marina City, Lake Point Towers, John Hancock Building (1970), and the Water Tower Place (1975) all contributed to the revitalization of the downtown. Although the city lost several historic buildings to the trend towards new construction (including the Garrick Theatre and the Stock Exchange Building), the old public library was saved by a Daley-appointed committee and later became the Chicago Cultural Center. In 1968, the city established a Commission on Chicago Landmarks (CCL) which researches and recommends historic landmark status to the City Council.
    • The city was also involved in urban renewal, demolition of declining neighborhoods, and the construction of federally funded public housing projects. Although the project met with neighborhood opposition, Daley was particularly proud of the construction of the University of Illinois Chicago Circle (now University of Illinois at Chicago) campus on the Near West Side of the city (1965). More controversial was the use of federal money to fund construction of massive high rise public housing towers in some of the city's primarily African American neighborhoods. The Stateway Gardens (1955), Cabrini-Green Extension (1957, 1962), and the Robert Taylor Homes (1962) were all built on the city's South and West sides. To fund building projects, the city pursued state and federal funding and sought to create an environment that encouraged private investment. A Public Building Commission was formed (1956) to centralize planning and help finance public construction through revenue bonds. At the same time, flexible tax policies and zoning appealed to and attracted private business interests. City sales and utility taxes also helped fund municipal projects. Despite a declining tax base as people and businesses moved to the suburbs, the city of Chicago remained solvent and with a high bond rating at a time when other large urban centers were struggling. Building projects brought high-paying union jobs for Chicago workers, and labor leaders were appointed to policymaking city boards and committees.
    • Daley's tenure was not without controversy, however. He was mayor at a contentious time when urban centers were confronted with dramatic socio-economic change, issues of racial segregation in schools and housing, and affirmative action in fire and police forces. These issues, along with perceptions of concentration on infrastructure and services for the downtown area at the expense of neighborhoods, especially in the racially segregated South and West Sides, and the city's response to violence following the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., eroded Daley's initial strong support among African American voters. Ticket fixing, bribes, inflated contracts, and other corruption scandals brought investigations and led to prison terms for some public officials, including City Council floor leader Thomas Keane. The 1960 Summerdale Scandal involving a police burglary ring led to the resignation of the Police Commissioner. Daley appointed Orlando O. Wilson, who undertook a series of reforms to professionalize the force.
    • National criticism was levied at the city for its response to rioting during the Democratic National Convention, held in Chicago in 1968. The majority of Chicagoans appeared to applaud the actions of the Chicago Police, although the "Walker Report" (1968) written by a Presidential Commission on Violence deemed their actions a "police riot." Daley also drew criticism for the strength of his political power and his reliance on the belief that "good government is good politics and good politics is good government."
    • As Chairman of the Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Cook County, a position he held until his death in 1976, Daley exerted considerable influence over the slating of Democratic candidates. The Central Committee was composed of ward committeemen from each of the city's 50 wards. Ward Committeemen delivered city services and controlled the city's 3,400 precinct captains, responsible for delivering the local vote. As both mayor and head of the local Democratic Party, Daley was believed to control over 40,000 patronage jobs. In 1960, Daley's national political power was demonstrated when he helped to deliver the vote of the city of Chicago for Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, earning a cover photograph on TIME magazine but also accusations of Democratic ballot box stuffing. In 1969, Michael Shakman, an unsuccessful candidate for the Illinois State Constitutional Convention, brought a class action suit against the mayor, the city, and the Democratic Party. Shakman's suit challenged the patronage system for compelling workers to deliver votes and contribute to campaigns. The 1972 Shakman ruling (later followed by more stringent rulings) limited politically motivated firing of city and county employees.
    • In 1972, Daley's political power was further challenged when the Democratic National Convention's Credentials Committee voted against seating 58 elected Illinois convention delegates aligned with Daley in favor of a delegation led by 43rd ward alderman William S. Singer and Reverend Jesse Jackson, Jr. Despite the controversy, in the convention's aftermath Daley supported the Democratic Party's nominee, Senator George McGovern. However, Richard J. Daley enjoyed tremendous loyalty from the voters of the city of Chicago and was reelected each term with substantial majorities. In 1975, he earned his largest political victory ever, garnering over 70% of the vote. He had a reputation for personal honesty, hard-work, and openness to the press.
    • After his marriage to Eleanor "Sis" Guilfoyle on June 23, 1936, the Daley family lived modestly in a typical Chicago brick bungalow in the neighborhood in which he had grown up. Daley was an avid fisherman and a devoted White Sox fan. The Daleys had three daughters and four sons. Their eldest son, Richard M. Daley was an elected delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Convention (1970), Illinois State Senator (1972-1980), Cook County State's Attorney (1980-1989), and was elected Mayor of Chicago (1989-2011), serving six full terms and surpassing his father's record as the longest serving Chicago mayor. Second born son Michael Daley became an attorney in the prominent firm of Daley and Georges, Ltd. John Daley became an Illinois State Representative (1985-1989), an Illinois Senator (1989-1992) and a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (1992-current). And the youngest son, William M. Daley, served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce (1997-2000) and White House Chief of Staff (2011-2012). The three Daley daughters -- Patricia (Daley) Martino, Mary Carol (Daley) Vanecko, and Eleanor R. Daley -- became teachers. On December 20, 1976, during a routine doctor's visit, Mayor Richard J. Daley (aged 74) suffered a fatal heart attack. Hundreds of dignitaries including President Jimmy Carter, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Senator Ted Kennedy, and thousands of Chicagoans attended his wake. He was buried after a private ceremony in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in suburban Worth, Illinois.
  • Finding Aids Note Finding aid available.
  • Names
    • Daley, Richard J., 1902-1976 Archives.
    • Chicago (Ill.). City Council Sources.
  • Subjects
    • Elections Illinois Chicago Sources.
    • Mayors Illinois Chicago Sources.
    • Municipal government Illinois Chicago Sources.
    • Municipal officials and employees Illinois Chicago Sources.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Chicago (Ill.) Politics and government To 1950 Sources.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Politics and government 1951- Sources.
    • United States Politics and government 20th century Sources.