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,...
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