August Klecka

August Klecka was a Czech-American politician and newspaper editor. He was a member of the Baltimore City Council from 1915 to 1933, representing Ward 7. Upon his election in 1915, Klecka became the first Czech-American to be elected to the Baltimore City Council.[1] He was a leading personality in the Czech community and for Czech Democrats in Baltimore.[2] Klecka represented Czech voters and ran the Slavic Building and Loan Association.[3] He also performed as acting mayor of Baltimore for a time in 1931.[4]

August Klecka
Baltimore City Council 2ndDistrict
In office
1915–1933
Personal details
Born(1878-02-02)2 February 1878
Baltimore, Maryland
Died12 August 1946(1946-08-12) (aged 68)
Baltimore, Maryland
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Lillian
ParentsJoseph Klecka (Father)
Marie Hranicka Klecka (Mother)

Klecka was born on 2 February 1878. His father Josef Klečka (from Nehodiv) was a prominent figure in Baltimore. His mother Marie Hraničková was an immigrant from Kvášňovice. August's brother James was Chief Magistrate of the People's Court of Baltimore.[5]

Starting in 1929, Klecka served as the editor of the Telegraf, a Czech-language newspaper in Baltimore.[1]

He was appointed as Federal Marshal for the state of Maryland by Franklin D. Roosevelt, serving from 1933 to 1946.[6]

After Klecka's death in 1946, his wife Lillian took over his role as Ward 7's most important political figure.[3]

August Klecka's grave at the Bohemian National Cemetery in Baltimore.

See also
  • History of the Czechs in Baltimore

References
  1. Chapelle, Suzanne Ellery Greene (1980). Baltimore: An Illustrated History. Woodland Hills, California: Windsor Publications. p. 156. ISBN 0897810090.
  2. Rechcigl, Jr., Miloslav (2013). Czech American Timeline: Chronology of Milestones in the History of Czechs in America. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse LLC. p. 132. ISBN 1491824840. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  3. Durr, Kenneth D. (2003). Behind the Backlash: White Working-Class Politics in Baltimore, 1940-1980. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. p. 225. ISBN 0-8078-2764-9. Retrieved May 10, 2014. August Klecka.
  4. "The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland on August 2, 1931 · 16". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  5. "19 Jan 1926, 18 - The Baltimore Sun at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  6. "U.S Marshals For The District Of Maryland". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved 2014-05-10.
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