Edward F. Dunne, the only person to serve as Chicago’s Mayor and Illinois’ governor, pushed for an independent Ireland in the early 20th Century.
Edward F. Dunne, right, drove in the latest model automobile of the day to give a campaign speech in this undated photo. Dunne served as mayor of Chicago from 1905 to 1907 and was governor of Illinois from 1913 to 1917. He was also a judge and U.S. commissioner at A Century of Progress. He died in 1937. Having been mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois, Edward F. Dunne went to France in 1919 to bug President Woodrow Wilson about Ireland.
Dunne, the American-born son of an Irish nationalist and the only person to serve as both Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’ governor, had taken up the cause championed by his father. He was a founder of the Irish Fellowship Club along with several regular lunch mates at Vogelsang’s Restaurant in Chicago.
The president was supposed to address the gathering while standing on Irish sod. It was the brainchild of James Cleary, a Tribune reporter. Then someone remembered that by tradition an American president never set foot on foreign soil. Were they thoughtlessly tempting Taft to break some law? Dunne’s father immigrated to America in the late 1840s after a failed uprising. He and Dunne’s mother made it clear to their son which side they were on. They sent Edward Dunne to public school in Peoria because the Catholic church frowned on the Irish nationalists. For similar reasons, Edward went to Trinity College in Dublin.
His issue of choice was public transportation. Chicago was expanding so rapidly that there were always streetcar tracks to be laid. Permits had to be granted, and politicians traded their approval for money. The commission noted that the Irish objection to the British was long-standing: “The Irish people from age to age, almost from generation to generation, have contested England’s right to Ireland.”
But he had assured the British ambassador he wouldn’t embarrass the U.S. ally by getting involved in the Irish issue.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Illinois Senate candidates spend millions on campaigns for 20th District primary electionOver $4 million dollars is expected to be raised in the hotly-contested state legislative race by the time the March 19th primary arrives.
Read more »
Computational Biology - Chicago, Illinois job with University of Illinois Chicago - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular GeneticsDescription The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, at the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), is soliciting applications for an open rank tenure track faculty position in Computational Biology.
Read more »
Tenure Track (Cancer Research) - Peoria, Illinois job with University of Illinois College of Medicine at PeoriaHiring Department: UICOMP-CBP Location: Peoria, IL USA Requisition ID: 1023695 Posting Close Date: 4/15/2024 The Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP) is now inviting applications for tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor level positions to expand its...
Read more »
How to vote early in Illinois for the 2024 primary electionHow to vote early in Illinois for the 2024 primary election
Read more »
Rockies Journal: Has losing become too acceptable at 20th and Blake?If you’re a Rockies fan, the preseason previews and predictions for the 2024 season are beyond dismal.
Read more »
20th-ranked Cougars draw 5-seed, first-round bye in first Big 12 TournamentNot many picked the Cougars to finish 22-9 in their first year in the Big 12, regarded as most as the toughest basketball conference in the country, yet along with a 10-8 record in league play.
Read more »