Elrod, Arthur X.
Elrod, Arthur X. Soundex Code E463
Elrod, Arthur X. (1900-1959)— of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1944 (alternate), 1948 (alternate), 1952, 1956.
In the 1920s, Chicago's West Side was home to a working-class majority of Eastern European Jews. While German-Jewish communities prospered in affluent Evanston and Hyde Park, the 24th Ward's residents relied in part on government aid to survive through the Depression and World War II, said political historian Paul M. Green, director of Roosevelt University's policy studies department.
Sometime after graduating from Medill High School, Arthur Exelrod decided to shorten his last name, becoming Arthur X. Elrod.
The new high school graduate began clerking for Jacob Arvey, a local lawyer who served as Alderman for the 24th Ward. Elrod soon became a precinct captain. When Arvey became chair of Cook County's Finance Committee in the mid-1930s, he made Elrod his secretary.
Arthur Elrod's interest in politics was more pragmatic than passionate, his son said.
"At that time, politics was an avenue to upward mobility," Richard J. Elrod said. "In the height of the Depression, one area where you know you're going to have a job is in government. You had to have the garbage picked up. You had to have the streets cleaned. You had to have police protection."
Arthur Elrod had become attached to a kingmaker. Under Arvey's leadership, the 24th ward in the area around Maxwell Street was tightly organized, with precinct captains keeping in close touch with residents to make sure city services ran smoothly as a way to ensure votes. The ward became a "vote treasure chest for Democrats" in the 1930s and 1940s, Green said. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman won tight elections, in part due to the 24th ward's pull.
"The 24th ward that Elrod and Arvey organized became the bellwether Democratic ward -- not even in the State of Illinois -- for the country," said Seymour Simon, a former Illinois Supreme Court justice and Cook County Board President who is now a partner at Piper Rudnick.
When Arvey went to serve in World War II, he named Elrod to be his successor as ward committeeman.
"You don't volunteer; you're picked," Green said of ward politics during that era. "It is raw capitalism, but instead of economics, it's politics. If you don't deliver the votes, you don't get picked for the team."
Arthur Elrod had delivered the votes.
In Boss, the book about the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, author Mike Royko described Elrod as "a classic ward boss." Elrod had made money as a real-estate investor and insurance broker, and he'd developed a reputation as someone who enjoyed the fast life. He hung out at nightclubs and hobnobbed with movie stars. Richard Elrod remembered sitting with Bob Hope at Wrigley Field and going with his father to pick up a young Frank Sinatra, who visited Arthur Elrod's office before performing in Chicago.
But Arthur Elrod's exciting friendships didn't take away from his hard work, his son said.
"He worked every day of the week," Richard Elrod said. "He knew what it was to work hard, -- and he expected that from the people he surrounded himself with."
Richard Elrod remembered seeing his father at ward headquarters: His father would always praise those who produced results at the polls and wasn't afraid to punish those who didn't. In those days, Richard Elrod said, precinct captains who didn't do their jobs were "viced" -- they'd lose their government jobs.
Arthur Elrod used to have his secretary conduct polls of precinct residents to make sure the captains were staying in touch, his son said. One day, Richard Elrod said, he called in a precinct captain to tell him he was going to have him viced.
"He said, 'Artie, why are you doing that? I haven't done anything!' " Richard Elrod recalled. Arthur responded, "That's exactly right."
In 1945, Elrod filled a vacant position on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
"Despite the fact that he moved out of the ward to an apartment on Lake Shore Drive, he continued to get elected and re-elected, over and over again," Steven Elrod said.
One day in 1959, Arthur Elrod played gin rummy with friends at the Covenant Club, a downtown athletic and dining club for Jewish men. When he said goodbye to his son, who was also there, he mentioned that he'd been dealt a perfect hand.
Later that night, he died of a heart attack. He was 58.