A TRIBUTE TO EDWARD FITZSIMMONS DUNNE - JUDGE, MAYOR, GOVERNOR
WHEREAS, Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne was the 38lh Mayor ofChicago from April 5, 1905 to 1907, and also served as the 24th Governor of Illinois from 1913 to 1917; and
WHEREAS, Coming from a proud Irish heritage, Edward F. Dunne started life in Watertown, Connecticut, as the son of a fervent Irish nationalist, Patrick William "P. W." Dunne who emigrated to America in 1849. A prosperous businessman, P. W. Dunne was active in both Irish and American politics: and
WHEREAS, Edward F. Dunne's family moved to Peoria, Illinois while he was still an infant and he was educated there in the public schools. After Dunne graduated from high school in 1871, he attended Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Among his classmates was the author Oscar Wilde. Dunne did extremely well at Trinity, but was forced to leave one year prior to graduation,after his father suffered a financial setback. Dunne finished his education at Union College of Law in Chicago, which later became Northwestern University; and
WHEREAS, Soon after graduating law school, Edward F. Dunne married Elizabeth Kelly, the daughter of a Chicago businessman, and started a successful legal practice. In 1892, he was appointed to the bench of the Cook County Circuit Court. He resigned to run for Mayor of Chicago on the Democratic ticket, winning the election of 1905;and
WHEREAS, Mayor Dunne was known as a populist and a progressive who was instrumental in reducing the price of gasoline and water, as well as a strong proponent of municipal ownership of public utilities. His inability to fulfil the campaign promise of a city-owned transportation system led to his defeat at the next election; and
WHEREAS, In 1907, Edward F. Dunne resumed his legal practice but returned to politics in 1912 when he was elected as Governor of Illinois, signing into law many progressive reforms, including Women's Suffrage six years before the passage of the 19lh Amendment, prison reforms, major infrastructural improvements, the creation of the Public Utility Commission, the Efficiency and Economy Commission, the State Legislative Reference Bureau, as well as expanding the state's role in oversight of workman's compensation benefits and teachers pensions; and
WHEREAS, In 1917, Edward F. Dunne once again resumed his practice of the law. In 1919, he was appointed by the Irish Race Convention to serve on the American Commission on Irish Independence, and as a delegate to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 as the voice of Irish-Americans for an independent Irish nation. In 1921, he helped found the National Unity Council whose main mission was to combat the Ku Klux Klan, which he termed "a menace to this and any community." In 1934, Dunne served as United States commissioner to the World's Fair in Chicago. He passed away three years later at the age of 83; and
WHEREAS, As a fitting tribute to this ledgendary political leader from the Irish community, the Honorable John Arena has introduced legislation to cause a portion of North Knox Avenue from West Wilson Avenue to West Lawrence Avenue that borders the property housing the Irish American Heritage Center to be known as the "Honorary Edward F. Dunne Way"; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED That we, the Mayor and members ofthe City ofChicago City Council, gathered this 8lh Day of May, 2013 AD, do hereby pause to pay tribute to the civic achievements of Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne and commend his efforts on behalf of the Irish people in their native land, in this city and worldwide.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the Irish American Heritage Center.