Tom Pendergast

'''Thomas Pendergast''' (1873-1945) controlled Kansas City as a political boss. Pendergast gave workers jobs and helped elect politicians during the Great Depression, becoming wealthy in the process. Thomas Joseph Pendergast was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1873. He had nine brothers and sisters. In the 1890s he worked in his brother's saloon in the West Bottoms. Here his older brother taught him about the city's political system and the advantages of controlling blocks of voters. After his brother's death, Pendergast began to control the region's Democratic Party. Under Pendergast, prohibition didn't keep the city from being filled with alcohol and gambling. Additionally many elections were fixed to keep political friends in power. In return, Pendergast's companies like Ready-Mixed Concrete were awarded government contracts. Under a $40 million bond program the city constructed many civic buildings during the Depression. Pendergast handpicked Harry S. Truman, the 1934 candidate for U.S. Senate. In 1939 Pendergast was arraigned for failing to pay taxes on a bribe received to pay off gambling debts. After serving 15 months in prison, he lived quietly at his home, 5650 Ward Parkway, until his death in 1945.

Opponents of the Pendergast organization

Various reform groups at different times attempted to challenge Pendergast's control of the city's politics. Notable leaders of these attempts included:

L. P. Cookingham
Harold Luhnow
R. E. McDonnell
Samuel S. Mayerberg
Loren Miller
Maurice M. Milligan

Pendergast, Tom Pendergast, Tom Category:Kansas City metropolitan area Category:Missouri politicians

om Pendergast Tm Pendergast To Pendergast TomPendergast Tom endergast Tom Pndergast Tom Pedergast Tom Penergast Tom Pendrgast Tom Pendegast Tom Penderast Tom Pendergst Tom Pendergat Tom Pendergas oTm Pendergast Tmo Pendergast To mPendergast TomP endergast Tom ePndergast Tom Pnedergast Tom Pednergast Tom Penedrgast Tom Pendregast Tom Pendegrast Tom Penderagst Tom Pendergsat Tom Pendergats Tom Pendergas TTom Pendergast Toom Pendergast Tomm Pendergast Tom Pendergast Tom PPendergast Tom Peendergast Tom Penndergast Tom Penddergast Tom Pendeergast Tom Penderrgast Tom Penderggast Tom Pendergaast Tom Pendergasst Tom Pendergastt om pendergast tm pendergast to pendergast tompendergast tom endergast tom pndergast tom pedergast tom penergast tom pendrgast tom pendegast tom penderast tom pendergst tom pendergat tom pendergas otm pendergast tmo pendergast to mpendergast tomp endergast tom epndergast tom pnedergast tom pednergast tom penedrgast tom pendregast tom pendegrast tom penderagst tom pendergsat tom pendergats tom pendergas ttom pendergast toom pendergast tomm pendergast tom pendergast tom ppendergast tom peendergast tom penndergast tom penddergast tom pendeergast tom penderrgast tom penderggast tom pendergaast tom pendergasst tom pendergastt

Search box

More info

Tom Pendergast

Opponents of the Pendergast organization

tom-pendergast.search.ipupdater.com