21 Facts About Tom Pendergast

Tom Pendergast, was an American political boss who controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, from 1925 to 1939.

Tom Pendergast became wealthy in the process, but his addiction to gambling, especially horse racing, later led to a large accumulation of personal debts.

The Pendergast organization helped to launch the political career of future president Harry S Truman, which caused Truman's early enemies to dub him "the senator from Pendergast".

Thomas Joseph Tom Pendergast, known to close friends as "TJ", was born in St Joseph, Missouri.

Tom Pendergast married Caroline Snyder in February 1911 and raised three children at their home on 5650 Ward Parkway.

Tom Pendergast was a member of the Knights of Columbus, which used his connection to reach Truman during the 1930s persecution of Catholics and others in Mexico.

Tom Pendergast ruled from a simple two-story yellow brick building at 1908 Main Street.

Tom Pendergast was unquestionably corrupt, and there were regularly shootouts and beatings on election days during his watch.

Tom Pendergast tried to portray a "common touch" and made attention-grabbing displays of helping pay medical bills, providing "jobs", and hosting famous Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the poor.

Tom Pendergast placed many of his associates in positions of authority throughout Jackson County and exercised strong influence in determining the Democratic candidates for statewide office.

Tom Pendergast extended his rule into neighboring cities such as Omaha, Nebraska, and Wichita, Kansas, where members of his family had set up branches of the Ready-Mixed Concrete company.

The Tom Pendergast stamp was to be found in the packing plant industries, local politics, bogus construction contracts, and the jazz scene in those cities as well.

Tom Pendergast had endorsed Stark, the heir to an agricultural fortune and known for promoting the Golden Delicious variety of apples, for governor in 1936.

Tom Pendergast was out of the country during the election, and his followers were even more obvious and corrupt than usual in Stark's successful election.

In 1939 Edward L Schneider, the secretary-treasurer of eight of the Pendergast businesses, killed himself.

In 1939, Tom Pendergast was arraigned for failing to pay taxes on a bribe received to pay off gambling debts.

Tom Pendergast died on January 26,1945, at Menorah Medical Center, which at the time was located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Tom Pendergast was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City.

When Truman's attempt at a clothing business failed in 1922, Jim Tom Pendergast suggested that he run for a "judgeship" in eastern Jackson County.

Truman was re-elected after US Attorney Maurice Milligan, who had prosecuted Tom Pendergast, entered the race, which caused Milligan and Stark to split the anti-Tom Pendergast vote.

Tom Pendergast was reportedly the only elected official who attended.