John Patrick Hopkins (October 29, 1858 – October 13, 1918) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1893–1895) for the Democratic Party. John Patrick Hopkins was the first of nine Irish American Catholic mayors of Chicago.[2]
John Patrick Hopkins | |
|---|---|
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| 35th[1] Mayor of Chicago | |
| In office December 27, 1893 – April 8, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | George Bell Swift (acting) |
| Succeeded by | George Bell Swift |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 29, 1858 Buffalo, New York, US |
| Died | October 13, 1918 (aged 59) Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Hopkins was a close friend and a political ally of Roger Charles Sullivan.[3][4]
Early life
editHopkins was born October 29, 1858, in Buffalo, New York.[2]
Career
editBecause his brothers and father died when Hopkins was still young,[5] he became a provider for his family.[5] His first job at a foundry as a boy.[5] He later worked in Buffalo's grain elevators.[5]
In 1879, he moved to Chicago with his mother and sisters.[5]
He worked for some times at the Pullman works.[5] From 1883 to 1885 he served as a paymaster for Pullman interests.[5]
In 1888, he founded the Started the Arcade Trading Co. in 1888, which later became the Secord and Hopkins Co.[2]
Hopkins forged a career in Democratic politics.[3]
Mayoralty
editHopkins was elected the 1893 Chicago mayoral special election, which was held after the assassination of mayor Carter Harrison Sr.
At 35 years of age when he took office, Hopkins became the youngest mayor the city had ever had.[4][6][7][5]
His tenure was marred by numerous scandals, criticisms, and shortcomings. This included incidents of political corruption in the city, such as the Ogden Gas Scandal, rampant public gambling that drew the ire of the Chicago Civic Federation, an indecisive response by Hopkins to the Pullman Strike that was assailed by Republican press outlets.[6][4] Additionally, the misappropriation of significant amounts of campaign contributions by Hopkins had upset many in the Chicago Democratic party, including those who belonged to the party's former Harrison faction.[4]
Hopkins did not seek reelection in the 1895 Chicago mayoral election
Post-mayoralty
edit
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Hopkins died of the Spanish flu on October 13, 1918, in Chicago.[2] He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Illinois.[2]
Personal life
editHopkins never married.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Chicago Mayors". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mayor John Patrick Hopkins Biography". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ a b Morton, Richard Allen (June 29, 2016). Roger C. Sullivan and the Making of the Chicago Democratic Machine, 1881-1908. McFarland. ISBN 9781476663777. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Lindberg, Richard C. (2009). The Gambler King of Clark Street: Michael C. McDonald and the Rise of Chicago's Democratic Machine. SIU Press. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-8093-8654-3. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dana, Charles Anderson. A Centennial history of the city of Chicago – Its men and institutions. Jazzybee Verlag. p. 33. ISBN 978-3-8496-8799-1. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Hogan, John F. (2018). Chicago Shakedown: The Ogden Gas Scandal. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4396-6474-2. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Illinois Political Directory. 1899. p. 265. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
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