Remembering Richard J. Daley

Kingmaker

Democratic candidates sought Daley's endorsement in their bids for office at the local, state, and national levels.

Everybody wanted him at their political functions. Just to have the mayor there was a success story.

Ed Kelly, Chicago Park District Superintendent 1973-1986, interview excerpt, December 11, 2003

Most of the presidential candidates that were running at that time all stopped by to visit him. They’d be sitting there and you could see they were nervous. And these were very important people—senators, congressmen, and people who had been in Washington for a long time, and were very influential. I told my husband it reminded me of that scene in The Godfather where they were all waiting to go in and ask a favor of the godfather on the day of his daughter’s wedding.

Roseanne Bonoma, Richard J. Daley’s Secretary, interview excerpt, October 3, 2014

Watch footage from the 1960 torchlight parade to support John F. Kennedy's candidacy for the presidency:

We were walked into the White House the day after the inauguration [of President John F. Kennedy]….The first thing he [Kennedy] said was, “I would not be here if it wasn’t for your dad. I would not be the president.”

John Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, May 9, 2007

Former President Jimmy Carter remembers that Mayor Daley helped him win the Democratic Party nomination in 1976:

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