Frank J. Corr
A Chicago alderman who served as acting mayor for just 24 days during the turbulent aftermath of a political assassination.
1877–1934 (age 57)·American politician·Birthday: January 12·The Gilded Age
Biography
Frank J. Corr's story is inextricably linked to one of the darkest moments in Chicago's political history. A loyal Democrat and longtime member of the city council, Corr was president of the Chicago Board of Aldermen in March 1933 when Mayor Anton Cermak was shot in Miami. Upon Cermak's death, the city charter placed Corr in the mayor's chair. His tenure, lasting from March 15 to April 8, was less than a month, a brief caretaker period marked by the shadow of tragedy and the pressing demands of the Great Depression. He oversaw no major initiatives, his role largely defined by maintaining stability until a special election could be held. After stepping down, he returned to the city council, his name forever recorded in the city's ledgers not for a sweeping agenda, but for steadying the ship during a sudden and violent crisis.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Frank was born in 1877, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frank Was Born
The biggest hits of 1877
Frank's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1877Born
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1882Started school
First electrical power plant opens in New York
President: Chester A. Arthur
1890Became a teenager
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1893Could drive
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1895Could vote
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Turned 21
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1907Turned 30
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1917Turned 40
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 50
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1934Died at 57
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
Key Achievements
- Served as the 45th Mayor of Chicago, assuming the role after the assassination of Anton Cermak.
- Held the position of President of the Chicago City Council (Board of Aldermen).
- Maintained city governance during a 24-day interim period in 1933, ensuring a stable transition.
Did You Know?
His term as mayor is one of the shortest in Chicago history.
He was succeeded by Edward J. Kelly, who would become one of Chicago's longest-serving mayors.
Corr's mayoral portrait hangs in the gallery of Chicago mayors in City Hall.
He was a practicing lawyer in addition to his political career.
“I am now the Mayor of Chicago.”
