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Pendergast organization, Truman was elected to that and later to a similar county-wide position. In 1934, after several other potential candidates turned him down, T. J. was persuaded to support Truman, whom he considered something of a lightweight, for the
Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat. Truman prevailed in a close primary and went on to win in the general election. Although Truman was derisively named "the senator from Pendergast" by his opponents, he does not appear to have had a close personal relationship with Pendergast himself. Both men met on only a handful of occasions and were photographed together only once, at the 1936 Democratic Party convention.
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435:, and Pendergast as part of Morgenthau's crackdown on corruption and organized crime. Despite Pendergast's history of delivering votes for Roosevelt and other leading Democrats, Morgenthau directed his subordinates to "let the chips fall where they may". With investigations looming, Stark turned against Pendergast, which prompted federal investigations and the pulling of federal funds from Pendergast's control. In 1939 Edward L. Schneider, the secretary-treasurer of eight of the Pendergast businesses, killed himself.
38:
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363:. 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. Among the projects were the Jackson County Courthouse, in Downtown Kansas City, and the concrete "paving" of
320:
348:) as well as a golden era of building in Kansas City. Pendergast tried to portray a "common touch" and made attention-grabbing displays of helping pay medical bills, providing "jobs", and hosting famous Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the poor. Fraud and intimidation often caused Kansas City voter turnout to be close to 100 percent in the Pendergast days.
505:
underway, Truman was finally able to shake his association with the
Pendergast machine and build a national reputation as a military spending reformer. In early 1945, the newly-inaugurated Vice President shocked many when he attended the Pendergast funeral. He was reportedly the only elected official
278:
above which spread the more prosperous sections of Kansas City. James
Pendergast, an alderman in Kansas City's city council, tutored him in the diversities of the city's political ways and systems and in the strategic advantages of controlling blocs of voters. James retired in 1910 and died the next
335:
Pendergast ruled from a simple two-story yellow brick building at 1908 Main Street. Messages marked with his red scrawl were used to secure all manner of favors. He was unquestionably corrupt, and there were regularly shootouts and beatings on election days during his watch. However, the permissive
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Pendergast may bear comparison to various big-city bosses, but his open alliance with hardened criminals, his cynical subversion of the democratic process, his monarchistic style of living, his increasingly insatiable gambling habit, his grasping for a business empire, and his promotion of Kansas
478:
had become close friends with Jim
Pendergast, T. J.'s nephew. When Truman's attempt at a clothing business failed in 1922, Jim Pendergast suggested that he run for a "judgeship" in eastern Jackson County (actually an administrative, rather than a judicial position). With the help of the
375:, in which bodies of Pendergast opponents were thought to be buried under the Brush Creek concrete, was finally put to rest when the concrete was torn up for a renewal project in the 1980s, and no bodies were found.) Pendergast also had a hand in other projects like the
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who attended. Truman brushed aside the criticism and said simply: "He was always my friend and I have always been his." On April 12, 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office and
Pendergast's one-time protégé became the 33rd President of the United States.
404:, where members of his family had set up branches of the Ready-Mixed Concrete company. The Pendergast stamp was to be found in the packing plant industries, local politics, bogus construction contracts, and the jazz scene in those cities as well.
390:
Pendergast placed many of his associates in positions of authority throughout
Jackson County and exercised strong influence in determining the Democratic candidates for statewide office. For example, he picked
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and was in poor health for the remainder of his life. 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 at the nearby
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as the
Democratic candidate for Missouri governor in 1932 after the previous candidate, Francis Wilson, died two weeks before the election. Pendergast also extended his rule into neighboring cities such as
523:
City as a wide-open town with every kind of vice imaginable, combined with his professed compassion for the poor and very real role as city builder, made him bigger than life, difficult to characterize.
240:, and to hand out government contracts and patronage jobs. He became wealthy in the process, but his addiction to gambling, especially horse racing, later led to a large accumulation of personal debts.
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year after he had named Tom as his successor. After his brother's death, Tom
Pendergast served in the city council until he stepped down in 1916 to focus on consolidating the factions of the
438:
Another factor in the downfall was
Pendergast's failing health. Shortly after attending the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 1936, he was taken ill and later diagnosed with
236:, but his capacity as chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Party allowed him to use his large network of Irish family and friends to help the election of politicians, in some cases by
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After a new city charter was passed in 1925 that placed the city under the auspices of a city manager picked by a smaller council, Pendergast easily gained control of the government.
420:, for governor in 1936. Pendergast was out of the country during the election, and his followers were even more obvious and corrupt than usual in Stark's successful election. With
1005:
Matlin, John S. "Political party machines of the 1920s and 1930s: Tom
Pendergast and The Kansas City Democratic machine". (PhD Dissertation, University of Birmingham, UK, 2009)
243:
In 1939, he was convicted of income tax evasion and served 15 months in a federal prison. The Pendergast organization helped to launch the political career of future president
1179:
1204:
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Oshinsky, David M. (2004). "Harry Truman", in Alan Brinkley and Davis Dyer: The American Presidency. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 365–380.
37:
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263:, he had nine brothers and sisters. The family's name is misspelled as Pendergest in the 1880 census and is listed accordingly.
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498:, who had prosecuted Pendergast, also entered the race, which caused Milligan and Stark to split the anti-Pendergast vote.
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tavern. The West Bottoms were then an immigrant section of town located at the "bottom" of the bluffs overlooking the
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Pendergast married Caroline Snyder in February 1911 and raised three children (two girls and a boy) at their home on
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494:. It was a very bitter campaign, which made both men lifelong enemies. Truman was re-elected after US Attorney
447:, he lived quietly at his home, 5650 Ward Parkway, in his later years. Pendergast died on January 26, 1945, at
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Tom's boy Harry; the first complete, authentic story of Harry Truman's connection with the Pendergast machine
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Pendergast ruled from the second floor of the yellow brick building at 1908 Main Street. It is not on the
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Pendergast's headquarters at 1908 Main is listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places.
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Larsen, Lawrence H. and Nancy J. Hulston, "Criminal Aspects Of The Pendergast Machine",
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Missouri Waltz: The Inside Story of the Pendergast Machine by the Man Who Smashed It
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Byte Out of History – FBI Involvement in Early Election Fraud Case in Kansas City
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475:
401:
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244:
247:, which caused Truman's early enemies to dub him "the senator from Pendergast".
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Dorsett, Lyle W. "Kansas City Politics: A Study of Boss Pendergast's Machine."
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Dorsett, Lyle W. "Kansas City and the New Deal", in John Braeman et al. eds.
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Thomas Joseph Pendergast, also known to close friends as "TJ", was born in
1081:
1063:– history essay at Secretary of State office; includes photos and cartoons
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Pendergast's downfall was related to a falling out with Missouri Governor
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Faith and Fraternalism: The History of the Knights of Columbus, 1882–1982
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352:
237:
1111:
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The Pendergast Years: Kansas City in the Jazz Age & Great Depression
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853:
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424:-related shootings and election violence underway in Jackson County,
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Two of his biographers have summed up Pendergast's uniqueness as a
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In the 1890s, the young Tom Pendergast worked in his older brother
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In his second term as Senator, with Pendergast out of power and
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The Kansas City Investigation: Pendergast's Downfall, 1938–1939
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is included in the listing. The photo is from August 2006.
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355:, Pendergast's machine and a bribed police force allowed
42:
Pendergast at the Democratic National Convention in 1936
745:"Truman Leads the Mourners at Tom Pendergast's Burial"
1100:
898:
The New Deal: Volume Two - the State and Local Levels
783:"Kansas City Historic Register Individual Properties"
305:
during the 1930s persecution of Catholics and others
387:, and the construction of inner-city high schools.
232:Pendergast only briefly held elected office, as an
1072:Kansas City Public Library biography on Pendergast
955:
920:
656:The American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power
579:
213:(July 22, 1872 – January 26, 1945), also known as
1180:Leaders of political parties in the United States
1136:
1034:Toms Town: Kansas City And The Pendergast Legend
854:Lawrence H. Larsen and Nancy J. Hulston (2013).
628:Lawrence H. Larsen and Nancy J. Hulston (2013).
707:"Death Ends Long Career of Boss Tom Pendergast"
336:go-go days also gave rise to the golden era of
52:Chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Party
1077:Men Who Made Kansas City: Thomas J. Pendergast
985:Larsen, Lawrence H.; Nancy J. Hulston (1997).
634:. University of Missouri Press. p. 189.
608:"SOS, Missouri – State Archives Publications"
860:. University of Missouri Press. p. xi.
303:, which used his connection to reach Truman
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315:Chairman of Jackson County Democratic Club
36:
1067:Kansas City Police Memorial on Pendergast
1205:Missouri politicians convicted of crimes
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577:
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1160:American people convicted of tax crimes
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445:United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
1195:Politicians from Kansas City, Missouri
1137:
686:
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1200:Politicians from St. Joseph, Missouri
1061:Missouri's Most Important Politician
465:
325:National Register of Historic Places
1009:; Bibliography on pp. 277–292.
681:
470:During his military service during
451:, which at the time was located in
16:American political boss (1872–1945)
13:
1210:American people of Italian descent
878:
482:After Pendergast was convicted of
418:Golden Delicious variety of apples
14:
1221:
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1016:(Charles Scribner's Sons, 1948).
658:. Henry Holt & Company, 2004.
578:Kauffman, Christopher J. (1982).
1122:
1110:
978:(91#2) (1997) pp. 168–180.
962:. University of Missouri Press.
927:. University of Missouri Press.
767:
729:
381:Fidelity Bank and Trust Building
19:For the English footballer, see
1170:American white-collar criminals
847:
830:
817:
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775:
567:. New York: Simon and Schuster.
490:sought to unseat Truman in the
175:
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699:
661:
648:
621:
600:
571:
551:
250:
1:
1190:Missouri city council members
1050:. Kansas City Public Library.
950:Hartmann, Rudolph H. (1999).
787:City of Kansas City, Missouri
544:
750:Springfield Leader and Press
712:Springfield Leader and Press
7:
527:
431:, went after a Mafia boss,
21:Tom Pendergast (footballer)
10:
1226:
976:Missouri Historical Review
18:
1165:American political bosses
509:
340:(now commemorated at the
299:. He was a member of the
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1175:Kansas City crime family
1044:Thomas Joseph Pendergast
534:Alcohol laws of Missouri
408:Downfall and later years
377:Power and Light Building
227:Jackson County, Missouri
211:Thomas Joseph Pendergast
101:Thomas Joseph Pendergast
991:. U of Missouri Press.
753:. 1945-01-29. p. 1
715:. 1945-01-27. p. 1
492:1940 US Senate election
886:The Pendergast Machine
525:
449:Menorah Medical Center
332:
327:, but the neighboring
1012:Milligan, Maurice M.
923:Truman and Pendergast
907:8.2 (1966): 107-118.
561:(1992). "Chapter 6".
520:
453:Kansas City, Missouri
426:US Treasury Secretary
322:
229:, from 1925 to 1939.
215:T. J. Pendergast
146:Kansas City, Missouri
131:Kansas City, Missouri
70:Kansas City, Missouri
1042:Roe, Jason (2018). "
905:Arizona and the West
669:"Vanishing Henchman"
486:, Missouri Governor
429:Henry Morgenthau Jr.
385:Municipal Auditorium
342:American Jazz Museum
257:St. Joseph, Missouri
114:St. Joseph, Missouri
1032:Reddig, William M.
455:. He was buried at
1185:Missouri Democrats
1046:", Biography from
952:Ferrell, Robert H.
917:Ferrell, Robert H.
586:. Harper and Row.
484:income tax evasion
393:Guy Brasfield Park
369:Country Club Plaza
333:
301:Knight of Columbus
217:, was an American
934:978-0-8262-6050-5
884:Dorsett, Lyle W.
654:Repetto, Thomas.
593:978-0-06-014940-6
559:McCullough, David
539:Byrd Organization
466:Truman connection
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900:(1975) pp 407–19
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496:Maurice Milligan
459:in Kansas City.
457:Calvary Cemetery
433:Charles Carrollo
338:Kansas City jazz
284:Democratic Party
268:James Pendergast
190:James Pendergast
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142:Calvary Cemetery
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124:January 26, 1945
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398:Omaha, Nebraska
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245:Harry S. Truman
221:who controlled
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168:Caroline Snyder
153:Political party
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276:Missouri River
259:. Raised as a
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810:McCullough,
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795:. Retrieved
791:the original
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760:– via
755:. Retrieved
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722:– via
717:. Retrieved
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690:McCullough,
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612:. Retrieved
610:. Sos.mo.gov
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503:World War II
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476:Harry Truman
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440:colon cancer
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373:urban legend
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329:Monroe Hotel
297:Ward Parkway
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272:West Bottoms
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126:(1945-01-26)
78:
72:City Council
58:
1155:1945 deaths
1150:1872 births
988:Pendergast!
857:Pendergast!
631:Pendergast!
472:World War I
371:. (A local
367:, near the
365:Brush Creek
353:Prohibition
251:Early years
238:voter fraud
223:Kansas City
1139:Categories
797:2019-01-29
757:2022-10-13
719:2022-10-13
614:2012-02-10
545:References
157:Democratic
107:1872-07-22
192:(brother)
186:Relations
83:1911–1916
79:In office
63:1925–1939
59:In office
1117:Politics
968:99018273
943:99012736
919:(1999).
888:(1968).
825:op. cit.
812:op. cit.
693:op. cit.
528:See also
361:gambling
351:Despite
261:Catholic
234:alderman
197:Children
1103:Portals
1036:(1947)
1026:(1948)
954:(ed.).
357:alcohol
180:
172:
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814:Ch. 5.
696:Ch. 6.
638:
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564:Truman
510:Legacy
400:, and
309:Mexico
163:Spouse
148:, U.S.
133:, U.S.
116:, U.S.
422:Mafia
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588:ISBN
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307:in
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