18 Facts About Jacob Arvey

Jacob M Arvey was an influential Chicago political leader from the Depression era until the mid-1950s.

Jacob Arvey was known as "Jake" and "Jack" at different times in his career.

Jacob Arvey grew up in Chicago's 24th political ward in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the city's West Side.

Jacob Arvey never attended college, but did study law, served as a clerk in a Chicago law firm, and eventually passed the Illinois bar exam and became an attorney.

In 1923 Jacob Arvey was elected to the Chicago city council from his native 24th ward.

Jacob Arvey had to be active in the Elks, masons, K of C, places where he could spread the word about the Democratic Party.

When Jacob Arvey returned from the war in 1945 he was appointed commissioner of the Chicago Park District, and served until 1967.

Now known as "Colonel" or "Jack" Jacob Arvey, he found that the Chicago Democratic organization was in trouble due to numerous scandals and charges of corruption.

In 1948, Arvey had the Chicago Democratic organization nominate Adlai Stevenson II, grandson of USVice President Adlai E Stevenson, for Governor of Illinois and Paul Douglas, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, for US Senator.

Truman was trailing the GOP presidential candidate, Thomas E Dewey, in the polls, and Arvey feared that Truman would lose by a wide margin in Illinois and drag Stevenson and Douglas to defeat with him.

Stevenson agreed to appoint qualified Democratic Party loyalists and workers to lesser positions in the state government; in return Jacob Arvey agreed to support Stevenson's efforts to reform the state government, and in particular to end corruption in the Illinois state police by removing political considerations from hiring practices.

Jacob Arvey then resigned under pressure from the county chairmanship, although he remained active in politics.

From 1950 to 1972 Jacob Arvey was a member of the Democratic National Committee for Illinois, a prominent if not powerful role.

Jacob Arvey played a role in securing the 1952 Democratic presidential nomination for Stevenson.

In 1955, Richard J Daley, an Arvey protege, was elected Mayor of Chicago.

Jacob Arvey allowed Arvey to retain his positions on the Park District Board and the Democratic National Committee for a time, but Arvey's influence was limited.

Jacob Arvey died of heart failure in Chicago's Weiss Memorial Hospital on August 25,1977, aged 81 and was buried in Chicago.

Jacob Arvey was survived by his wife and their three children.