Joseph Medill

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Joseph Medill
21st Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of the City of Chicago
In office 1871 – 1873
Preceded by	Roswell B. Mason
Succeeded by	Harvey Doolittle Colvin

Born	April 6, 1823 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Died	March 16, 1899 Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Fireproof
Residence	Wheaton, Illinois

Joseph Medill (April 6, 1823 – March 16, 1899) is better known as the business manager and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune than as mayor of Chicago, although his term in office occurred during two of the most important years of the city's history as Chicago tried to rebuild in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire.

Medill was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

During the American Civil War, Medill's great journalistic enemy was The Chicago Times, run by Cyrus McCormick. Eventually McCormick's nephew married Medill's daughter Kate. Strongly supportive of Abraham Lincoln, the Tribune was instrumental in his nomination for the Presidency. Although he may have had racist tendencies, Medill used his editorial stance to stand up for the abolitionist cause and was a strong supporter of Lincoln's bid for the presidency.

Medill's mayoral term was from 1871 to 1873, and he ran under the unique Fireproof party (a means of bringing attention to his rebuilding efforts after the Chicago Fire). As mayor, Medill gained more power for the mayor's office, created Chicago's first public library, enforced blue laws and reformed the police and fire department. In ill health and tiring of mayoral responsibilities, Medill took a leave of absence and appointed Lester L. Bond as acting mayor while he traveled throughout Europe.

Medill's country estate in Wheaton, Illinois, which was later occupied by his grandson, Robert R. McCormick, who named it Cantigny, is now open to the public as a beautiful public garden, picnic area and museum for the First Division of the US Army [1] [2]. The Medill-McCormick home is also open for tours as a museum.

The Medill School of Journalism, one of the many schools that compose Northwestern University, and one of the top journalism schools in the United States, is named after Joseph Medill.

Medill had two daughters, Kate and Elinor, known as Nellie. While Kate married the nephew of Medill's chief rival McCormick, Nellie married Robert W. Patterson Jr., an influential reporter at the Tribune. Each daughter named her firstborn son after her successful father: Katie had Joseph Medill McCormick, and Nellie had Joseph Medill Patterson. Nellie's son became a succussful newspaper owner himself, founding the New York Daily News and rivaling the dynasty of William Randolph Hearst. Nellie's daughter, Cissy Patterson, also achieved fame as a publisher. Joseph Medill Patterson's daughter and Medill's great-granddaughter, Alicia Patterson, founded and edited Newsday. Medill's great-great grandson, Joseph Medill Patterson Albright, married future (now former) United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.