Frank J. Corr

Frank J. Corr
35th Mayor of Chicago
In office March 15, 1933 – April 8, 1933
Preceded by	Anton Cermak
Succeeded by	Edward J. Kelly
Personal details
Born	(1877-01-12)January 12, 1877 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	June 3, 1934(1934-06-03) (aged 57) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Sepulchre Cemetery Worth, Illinois
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Burke (m. 1902–1934) [1]
Education	De La Salle Institute Chicago-Kent College of Law[2]

Frank J. Corr (January 12, 1877 – June 3, 1934) was an American politician. Corr served as the 35th mayor of Chicago, Illinois. Carr term was as acting mayor from March 15, 1933, following the assassination of Anton Cermak until April 8, 1933. Corr was a member of the Democratic Party.

Biography

Corr was born in Brooklyn, NY, but his family moved to Chicago in 1890, when he was thirteen years old. Corr attended De La Salle Institute, graduating in 1895^[3] and later the Chicago-Kent College of Law. Corr first entered politics in 1902 as assistant corporate council for Chicago. Although he briefly left that position to become a law partner to Judge Walter T. Stanton, he returned to the political post during the administration of Mayor William Dever.^[4] During this time, he became active in ward politics and, in 1931, was elected alderman of Chicago's 17th Ward.

Corr was in his second term as alderman when Cermak was assassinated in March 1933. The city council elected Corr to serve as acting mayor until the state General Assembly authorized the city council to appoint a permanent replacement for Cermak.^[4][5] The special election was won by Edward Kelly. During Corr's brief administration, his bodyguards killed a nineteen-year-old burglar when they heard a commotion at a hotel near Corr's house.^[6] As Acting Mayor, Corr lacked the ability to sign tax warrants, limiting salary payments for city and school employees. When five aldermen traveled to Hot Springs, Arkansas, Corr followed them to bring them back to Chicago to ensure that his replacement could be elected quickly.^[5]

At the time of his death, Corr was serving as alderman and running uncontested for election to the Circuit court. With his death the night before the election, he was replaced on the ballot by Cornelius J. Harrington.^[4] Corr's father, Frank V. Corr, died four weeks before Frank Corr's death.^[7] He was buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

References