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Remembering Richard J. Daley

Interview transcript: Ray Simon, June 30, 2010

Interview with Ray Simon, June 30, 2010. RJDOH_01_simon_ray_20100630. Richard J. Daley Oral History collection, University of Illinois Chicago. Go to interview [PDF]

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Building for Chicago's People
We want to do three things here in Chicago. We want to make Chicago an international city. We want to bring headquarters for companies in here. And we want to build Chicago for its people.

Mayor Richard J. Daley, as quoted by A. Robert Abboud, First National Bank of Chicago, President, interview excerpt, December 3, 2009
Development projects
I think he did a great job of building the city, turning it into a great city, and interacting with the federal government. It was building the city, getting the expressway systems built, getting O’Hare built, getting UIC [University of Illinois Chicago] built, and getting so many of the buildings downtown built. I think he did a great job of turning the city into a world class city.

Robert G. Vanecko, grandson of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, March 5, 2010
Robert Christensen, a former city engineer who served under Daley, explains the building projects the mayor oversaw:
He helped hospitals in their plans for expansion and ways to do things. I would only find out about it sometimes because some CEO of a hospital or someone like that would tell me. “Your father-in-law was very helpful to us, getting these people to come on our board and tell us to go ahead on this.”

Dr. Robert M. Vanecko, MD, son-in-law of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, March 8, 2010

The Loop and downtown
These programs to Chicagoans were part of a larger plan to revitalize the city’s downtown “Loop” area and strengthen its infrastructure.
Both Mayor Richard J. Daley and later his son, Mayor Richard M. Daley (served 1989-2011) contributed to the city’s built environment.
Most of the downtown was developed under his dad. Most of the neighborhoods were developed under Rich. We’re lucky to have the Daleys because I wouldn’t want to be going through a new mayor every four years—things would never get done.

Vince Gavin, Daley Security Chief and Liquor Commissioner, interview excerpt, June 19, 2014
In this audio clip, Joseph Fitzgerald, former Chicago Building Commissioner, recounts how Mayor Daley facilitated the construction of the Sears Tower, now known as the Willis tower:

Sometimes existing regulations required Mayor Daley to come up with creative solutions. A. Robert Abboud, a Chicago business executive, remembers one example:
Urban renewal and infrastructure
Urban renewal and new infrastructure changed the face of neighborhoods. But it came as a cost. In some cases, for example, development required longtime residents to relocate against their wishes. Even so, development also offered greater access to services and thoroughfares and fostered business and employment opportunities.

Finding the money
To pay for those projects and the many services Chicago provided its residents, Daley secured funds from a number of sources. He used the city’s taxing authority when necessary, but he also wanted to ensure Chicago retained control of how that money was spent. That part of his job became easier when the new Illinois Constitution of 1970 granted "home rule" status to the city. Home rule meant that Chicago enjoyed greater discretion of when and how to tax, regulate, and perform certain services.
So the mayor wanted to keep Chicago’s taxing authority and Chicago’s ability to regulate independent of the General Assembly. So rather than trying to pass off responsibility to suburban communities or to county government, he wanted to centralize control in the city of Chicago….He didn’t want municipal functions to be broadened out into the region or the county. He wasn’t trying to save taxpayers money by diverting responsibilities for the various city functions to the broader governmental agencies.

Ray Simon, Corporation Counsel City of Chicago, interview excerpt, June 30, 2010
Federal aid was important. Daley worked with Illinois’s congressional delegation to ensure Chicago received its share of national revenue.
He was very shrewd in his relationship with Washington, D.C. He had a close relationship with Dan Rostenkowski, who was Chairman of Appropriations. Rostenkowski helped get him get the money to build the expressways, like the Dan Ryan and the improvements on the Kennedy. He was very much interested in transportation.

Burton Natarus, Attorney and Alderman from the 42nd Ward from 1971-2007. Interview excerpt, June 16, 2010
Working for the Mayor
You had a direct relationship. There was no in-between. Several of the subsequent mayors have had layers of administration. With Daley, it was direct, one on one.

Jerome Butler, City Architect, interview excerpt, July 8, 2002

I just think that Daley went in and, to many people’s surprise, he appointed young, professorial type people to key positions. And he relied on them….They weren’t all, ‘Yes men.’ They were people who were unique in their fields and in their professions.

Richard Elrod, Chief Prosecutor for City of Chicago, interview excerpt, April 10, 2009

That’s not a field you’re going into to get rich. He was able to convince some people, who obviously became financially more successful in many cases, to make some sacrifices and work for this cause….There was this unique, charismatic leadership about him that just drew people to him and made them want to win with him.

Peter Thompson, grandson of Richard J. Daley, June 11, 2002
He always called me Joe when he was happy with me. He normally called me Commissioner, and if he was really mad at me he’d call me Mr. Fitzgerald.

Joseph Fitzgerald, Chicago Building Commissioner, interview excerpt, July 24, 2014

Daley wanted to make every decision, from who put the light on and who flushed the toilet. He wanted to make every decision. But the nice thing about Daley was that he had a cadre of people around him and he would take advice.

Dan Rostenkowski, Congressman, interview excerpt, July 1, 2004

Critics mock the mispronunciation or tangled syntax of the mayor’s public speaking, but none of that criticism is from anyone who ever participated in a one-on-one or a small group meeting with him. Up close and personal he was a powerhouse.

Richard L. Curry, Corporation Counsel City of Chicago 1970-1974, excerpt from written statement, November 10, 2014

So he’d keep pounding away at whatever the problems were and trying to bring in new ideas. He was susceptible to new ideas, if they were good ideas, no matter who gave them to him, even if it was the guy who was the starter to the elevators down on the main floor of the hall, or one of his cabinet people, or if it was a social acquaintance of his. He really was open. He also had a kind of common touch.

Ray Simon, Corporation Counsel City of Chicago 1965-1969, interview excerpt, June 30, 2010
Mary Junquera was his secretary for many years. She said that every single night when he left the office, he came to her desk and thanked her for her work that day. He said, “With the help of God, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Patricia Daley-Martino, daughter of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, June 12, 2002
Daley's official photographer remembers in this audio clip the time he took what came to be the mayor's iconic official photograph.
A National Mayor
He ran the city. And many times, he ran the state. There are some people that think he elected a president, Kennedy.

Ben W. Heineman, businessman, public servant, and friend of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, October 22, 2003
Daley’s influence extended beyond Chicago. He participated annually in the United States Conference of Mayors, serving as president of the organization from 1959 to 1960, and he advised U.S. presidents and other policymakers.

I also remember traveling, going to Washington…. When they had the conference of mayors, we went there. The conference of mayors was always in the summer. … And those were great. We went to Hawaii one year. And that year was the year, the summer before Kennedy was assassinated, we saw him out there. He stopped and spoke to all of us. That was the last time we saw him. That was the last time my dad saw him. But going to Washington, he’d go out on urban issues for the city. He was fighting for city causes along with other big city mayors…. But anyway, the respect that they had for him, not just from the Illinois delegation, but all around.

John Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, May 9, 2007
The presidents
Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy
Harry Truman came in one Saturday. And he came in by himself. And he was staying over at the Sherman, I guess. Vince Leddy was the policeman’s name at the desk, and he came back and he said to me, “You won’t believe who’s here.” And I said, “Who?” He said, “Truman.” I said, “Well, bring him in.” Vince Leddy was sitting at the desk reading something, and Truman came in, had a cane, hit him on the head and said, “Young man, is your mayor in?” So of course the mayor was. “Bring him in, you know, right away.”

Kay Quinlan, Richard J. Daley’s Personal Secretary, interview excerpt, August 7, 2014
As mayor, Daley maintained contact with each sitting president, sometimes advising them on important matters.

Mayor Daley and President Lyndon Baines Johnson
[President Johnson] liked the mayor. He called the mayor for advice. The mayor would never ask for anything personal. He’d ask for things for the city. And I don’t think that if it was within his control and within his power to do it, I don’t think he’d ever say no to him. But the mayor was a wise and prudent person. He never wore out his welcome.

Ray Simon, Corporation Counsel City of Chicago 1965-1969, interview excerpt, June 30, 2010
He knew Johnson. He was closer in age to Johnson. And he had tremendous respect for Johnson in the sense of how he was able to pass legislation. And he had a concern with Kennedy that many times, people in Kennedy’s cabinet tried to take Congress on, rather than working with them. And then when Johnson became president, he said, “I will work with you. The delegation will work with you.” But he respected Johnson. He was able to accomplish things on his own, and passed many things Kennedy was unable to pass. It was because they had sort of an attitude against Congress, which we mentioned earlier about the university, towards my dad – I think some of the people around Kennedy, not himself, thought that they did not need the Congressional leadership. And they found out very quickly that their bills went down in defeat.

John Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, interview excerpt, May 9, 2007
Watch footage (no audio) from President Johnson's visit to Chicago in 1964:
Nixon, Ford, and Carter
We were walking one day from church and we were going up to meet President Nixon at O’Hare Field and he looked at me and he says, “What time do we have to be up there?” And I said, “Air Force One should be at O’Hare, at the hangar there at ten o’clock Mr. Mayor.” He said, “Fine.” Then he said, “You know Vince, people might not respect the man, but you have to always respect the office.” That says a lot. That’s when he had all the Watergate issues. That was probably one of the biggest scandals in those days of politics in Washington. So the mayor says, “He’s the President of the United States and I’m going to greet him.” Other things aside, he didn’t back off. He didn’t say he’s got problems. Everybody needs a friend when they have problems.

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