A. A. Ames
A Minneapolis mayor whose brazenly corrupt fourth term became a national scandal, immortalized by muckraking journalists as a symbol of urban political rot.
1842–1911 (age 69)·American politician·Birthday: January 18
Biography
Dr. Albert Alonzo 'Doc' Ames was a charismatic figure in Minneapolis—a Civil War surgeon, a popular physician, and a savvy politician who served multiple terms as mayor. His final term, beginning in 1901, however, descended into audacious criminality. Ames essentially turned city hall into a protection racket, installing his brother as police chief and allowing gambling, prostitution, and robbery to flourish under the paid oversight of his administration. The scale of the graft was staggering. His downfall was catalyzed by muckraking journalist Lincoln Steffens, who detailed the operation in a famous 1903 McClure's Magazine article, 'The Shame of Minneapolis.' Public outrage led to trials and convictions, though Ames ultimately avoided prison through legal maneuvering. His story is less a tale of petty corruption and more a case study in the wholesale capture of a city government, a stark warning from the Progressive Era about the perils of unchecked power.
#1 When A. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1842
A.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1842Born
1847Started school
1855Became a teenager
1858Could drive
1860Could vote
1863Turned 21
President: Abraham Lincoln
1872Turned 30
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1882Turned 40
First electrical power plant opens in New York
President: Chester A. Arthur
1892Turned 50
President: Benjamin Harrison
1902Turned 60
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Died at 69
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
Key Achievements
- Served four non-consecutive terms as Mayor of Minneapolis between 1876 and 1903.
- His corrupt administration was exposed nationally in Lincoln Steffens' muckraking article 'The Shame of Minneapolis' in 1903.
- Was found guilty of corruption charges in 1903, though the conviction was later overturned on appeal.
Did You Know?
He earned the nickname 'Doc' from his earlier career as a physician and surgeon.
He served as a surgeon for the Union Army during the American Civil War.
After his political downfall, he attempted a fresh start by moving to New Hampshire and practicing medicine again.
“The city is a patient, and I am its physician.”
