A a post office was first established in Chicago on March 8, 1831, with Johnathan N. Baily, a fur trader , being appointed Chicago's first postmaster .[ 1] [ 2]
Chicago was long the hub of the Railway Mail Service of the United States. Chicago saw particularly large volumes of mail in the peak era of mail-order business by Chicago-based retailers Montgomery Ward and Sears .[ 1]
Postmasters appointed before 1971
Until the establishment of the United States Postal Service in 1971, the president of the United States appointed local postmasters.
In the 19th century, many appointees of postal positions in the United States were patronage positions, with newspaper editors with close ties to the president's party often receiving postmastership positions.[ 1]
Name
Tenure
President appointed by
Notes
Citation(s)
Johnathan N. Baily
March 31, 1831–Nov. 2, 1832
Andrew Jackson First postmaster
[ 2] [ 3]
John S.C. Hogan
Nov. 2, 1832–1837
[ 2]
Sidney Abell
Mar. 3, 1837–1841
Martin Van Buren [ 3] [ 4]
William Stuart
Jul. 10 1841–1845
John Tyler [ 3] [ 4]
Hart L. Stuart
Apr. 25, 1845–1849
James K. Polk [ 3] [ 4]
Richard L. Wilson Apr. 23, 1849–1850
Zachary Taylor [ 3] [ 4]
George W. Dole Sep. 25, 1850–1853
Millard Fillmore [ 3] [ 4]
Isaac Cook Mar. 22, 1853–1857
Franklin Pierce [ 3] [ 4]
William Price
Mar. 18, 1857–1858
James Buchanan [ 3] [ 4]
Isaac Cook Mar. 9, 1858–1861
[ 3] [ 4]
John Locke Scripps March 28, 1861–Mar. 9, 1865
Abraham Lincoln [ 3] [ 4]
Samuel Hoard Mar. 9, 1865–1866
Abraham Lincoln [ 3] [ 4]
Robert A. Gilmore
Nov. 16, 1866–1867
Andrew Johnson [ 3] [ 4]
Francis Trowbridge Sherman Aug. 27, 1867–1869
[ 3] [ 4]
Francis A. Eastman
Apr. 5, 1869–1873
Ulysses S. Grant [ 3] [ 4]
John McArthur Dec. 20, 1873–1877
[ 3] [ 4]
Francis Wayland Palmer Feb. 26, 1877–1885
Rutherford B. Hayes [ 3] [ 4]
S. Corning Judd May 5, 1885–1888
Grover Cleveland [ 3] [ 4]
Walter C. Newberry Nov. 19, 1888–1889
[ 3] [ 4]
James A. Sexton Apr. 16, 1889–1893
Benjamin Harrison [ 3] [ 4]
Washington Hesing Nov. 25, 1893–1897
Grover Cleveland [ 3] [ 4]
Charles Ulysses Gordon Mar. 19, 1897–1901
William McKinley [ 3] [ 4]
Frederick E. Coyne
Mar. 19, 1901–1905
[ 3] [ 4]
Fred A. Busse Dec. 16, 1905–1907
Theodore Roosevelt [ 3] [ 4]
Daniel A. Campbell Apr. 6, 1907–1917
[ 3] [ 4]
William B. Carlile
Mar. 16, 1917–1921
Woodrow Wilson [ 3] [ 4]
Arthur C. Lueder Aug. 24, 1921–1923
Warren G. Harding Resigned in 1923 to unsuccessfully run for mayor of Chicago in that year's election as a Republican.
[ 3] [ 4]
Grant B. Miller
1923
Warren G. Harding [ 5]
Arthur C. Lueder 1923–1933
Warren G. Harding Reappointed postmaster after losing mayoral election.
[ 3] [ 4]
Ernest J. Kruetgen
Aug. 31, 1933–1948 (acting postmaster Aug. 31, 1933–Jan. 31, 1934)
Franklin D. Roosevelt [ 3] [ 4]
John Haderlein
Aug. 31, 1949–1952 (acting postmaster Aug. 31, 1948–Sep. 23, 1949)
Harry S. Truman [ 3] [ 4]
Vincent F. Werner (acting postmaster)
Aug. 31, 1952–Jul. 6, 1953
[ 3] [ 4]
Carl A. Shroeder
Jul. 6, 1953–1961 (acting postmaster Jul. 6, 1953–Aug. 12, 1954)
Dwight D. Eisenhower [ 3] [ 4]
Ralph G. Donegan(unofficial acting postmaster)
Sep. 15, 1961–Nov. 2, 1961
—
[ 3] [ 4] [ 6]
Harry H. Semrow November 2, 1861–Mar. 1966 (acting postmaster Nov 2, 1961–Oct. 5, 1962)
John F. Kennedy [ 3] [ 4] [ 7] [ 8]
William Boschelli (acting postmaster)
Mar. 18, 1966–Sep. 1966
Lyndon B. Johnson [ 3] [ 4]
Henry W. McGee Jr. Nov. 5, 1966(acting postmaster Sep 23, 1966–Nov. 5, 1966)
First African American to hold the position
[ 3] [ 1] [ 4]
Postmasters appointed after 1971
Name
Tenure
Notes
Citation(s)
Emmett E. Cooper Jr. June 2, 1973–April 28, 1977
Left post after being assigned regional postmaster general for the Eastern Region
[ 3] [ 9] [ 10] [ 11]
Frank C. Goldie
Jul 16, 1977–1987
[ 3] [ 11] [ 12]
Janet Norfleet
April 4, 1987–December 1990
First female postmaster of Chicago
[ 3] [ 13]
Norman L. Miller
Jan. 26, 1991–Jan. 1992
[ 3]
Ormer Rogers Jr.
Apr. 18, 1992–Jan. 1993
[ 3]
Jimmie Mason
Jan. 9, 1993–Jul. 1994
[ 3]
Rufus Porter
Jul. 16, 1994–Apr. 2001
[ 3]
Earl D. Flowers
Apr. 7, 2001–Aug. 2002
[ 3]
Eric D. Chavez
Aug. 10, 2002–Aug. 2004
[ 3]
Kelvin Mack
Aug. 7, 2004–Sep. 2006
[ 3]
Gloria E. Tyson
May 26, 2009–Mar. 3, 2011
[ 3] [ 14]
Anthony B. Vaughan
Nov. 16, 2013–2016
[ 3]
Tangela L. Bush
Oct. 29, 2016–Jan. 2018
[ 3]
Wanda Prater
Sep. 1, 2018–June 12, 2021
Was "officer in charge" prior to becoming postmaster
[ 3] [ 15] [ 16]
Officers in charge
The following individuals served as "officer in charge of the Chicago Post Office" during periods in which there was a vacancy in the position of postmaster of Chicago:
Name
Tenure
Notes
Citation(s)
Wanda Prater
Jan. 20, 2018–Sep. 1, 2018
Became postmaster
[ 3]
William G. Booras
1972–1973
[ 17] [ 9]
William G. Booras
Apr. 18, 1972–Jun. 2, 1973
[ 3]
Charles K. Kernan
Apr. 27 1977–Jul. 16, 1977
[ 3]
Forest D. Anderson
Jan. 30, 1987–Apr. 4, 1987
[ 3]
Ormer Rogers Jr.
Nov. 30, 1990–Jan. 26, 1991
[ 3]
Dean Buchanan
Jan. 3, 1992–Apr. 18, 1992
[ 3]
Kelvin Mack
May. 1, 2004–Aug. 7, 2006
[ 3]
Gloria E. Tyson
Sep. 30, 2006–May 26, 2009
[ 3] [ 14]
Nancy Rettinhouse
Feb. 26, 2011–May 31, 2011
[ 3] [ 14]
Eddie Morgan
June 2021–Jan. 2022
[ 18] [ 19]
Loretta Wilkins
May 9, 2023–present
[ 3]
See also
References
^ a b c d John, Richard R. (2005). "Mail Delivery" . www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org . Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved 12 March 2023 . ^ a b c Currey, J. Seymour (March 27, 2003). "Chicago's First Post Office" . chicagology.com (originally published in Fort Dearborn Magazine in December 1922) . Retrieved 12 March 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg "Postmasters by City - Postmaster Finder - Who we are - About.usps.com" . about.usps.com . Retrieved 4 April 2024 .^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "The Political Graveyard: Mayors and Postmasters of Chicago, Illinois" . Political Graveyard . Retrieved 13 March 2023 .^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Miller, G to I" . politicalgraveyard.com . Retrieved 20 November 2024 .^ "3 Postal Jobs in Region Go to Democrat" . Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.^ "Take Oath" . Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.^ "Senate OK's Sermon for Postmaster" . Newspapers.com . Chicago Tribune. October 6, 1962. Retrieved 13 March 2023 .^ a b "New Chicago postmaster assumes duties" . Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.^ "Postal pioneers" . link.usps.com . United States Postal Service News. January 30, 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023 .^ a b "Select New Postmaster" . Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.^ Martin, Alison (19 May 2022). "This week in history: Chicago's Latino community stages sit-in over mail issues" . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 13 March 2023 . ^ Thornton, Jerry (March 24, 1987). "Happiness is mail lover in top job" . Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com. ^ a b c "Chicago Postmaster Gloria Tyson Announces Retirement" . about.usps.com . United States Postal Service. February 24, 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2023 .^ Yin, Alice (June 16, 2021). "Chicago USPS postmaster replaced following mounting calls for her resignation over mail delays" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 13 March 2023 . ^ "Chicago Post Office delivers important message about dog bites" . about.usps.com . United States Postal Service. April 6, 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023 .^ "Need Some Cuff Links? Try Local Post Office" . Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.^ Anthony, Katie (15 January 2022). "More turnover in Chicago USPS as postmaster leaves job after just 7 months" . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 13 March 2023 . ^ "Acting Chicago Postmaster Eddie Morgan Jr. Out After Only 7 Months" . Postal Times . 17 January 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2023 .
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