The mayor was never one who drank coffee at his desk. He never ate at his desk. City Hall was for business. He had a schedule where he ran appointments fifteen minutes to half an hour. He had a very heavy schedule every day. He was such a brilliant man. He almost never wrote anything down. He remembered what people wanted.

Thomas Donovan, Administrative Assistant to Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, April 2, 2009

My guess is that if my grandfather were alive today, he would not be a fan of casual Fridays.

Courtney Thompson, granddaughter of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, August 5, 2002

His discipline was beyond belief. He was just spot on everything. He was just always—we used to say if the mayor’s house burned down he’d come out in a suit.

Vince Gavin, Security Chief for Richard J. Daley, interview except, July 19, 2014

I think that all good political leaders understand that there’s a bit of theater to life. And he understood that.

William Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, December 5, 2008

During his time as mayor and in his public life, he held more press conferences than any other mayor. He was accessible every day. I mean, it was unbelievable. People said how he would be hiding out and things like that. He was more accessible to the press.

Michael Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, July 26, 2006

I’d go to press conferences just to see him handling them. I mean, if he didn’t want to answer a question, the press couldn’t make him answer it, and he would talk around that question so they were so confused they wouldn’t know where it started. He was always in control.

James Riley, Assistant to Richard J. Daley’s Campaigns for Mayor, interview excerpt, October 30, 2014

There was no typical day for the mayor.

There was always a riot. There was always something going on. And so you never, ever knew what. You’d think, oh, it’s going to be a peaceful day today, I’m going to do this, that and the other thing. You couldn’t do it because it was something different.

Kay Quinlan, Richard J. Daley’s Personal Secretary, interview excerpt, August 7, 2014

When they see the mayor in person, when he gets up before an audience. Talk about Knute Rockne. He’s the Knute Rockne of politics.

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

He could charm anybody. He could strike the fear of God into anybody. If he was in a large room and he entered, it was a presence that he had there that just buzzed with excitement.

Robert Christensen, Executive Director, Chicago Public Building Commission, interview excerpt, September 8, 2003

He was very bright, had a high I.Q., and had a photographic memory. In fact, he never forgot anything. He could meet someone and would spend two minutes talking to them. If he saw that person again, there was a fifty-fifty chance he’d know their name.

Richard Pavia, Chicago Water Commissioner (1973-1979), interview excerpt, June 20, 2002

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

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