One For The Road: Happy Birthday, Anton Cermak

By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on May 9, 2012 10:40PM

Informal three-quarter portrait of Anton J. Cermak, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, standing on a city street in Chicago in 1926. Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.

He was only the Mayor of Chicago for two years, but Anton Cermak had one hell of an effect on Chicago politics. He was born on this date in 1873. The Czech immigrant served in the Illinois House of Representatives for seven years, then became the alderman of the 12th ward. He became president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1922 and Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party in 1928. There hasn't been a Republican mayor since Cermak beat Big Bill Thompson.

Nationally, he's largely known for how he died, taking a bullet while standing near Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt. in 1933. Read our previous article on the assassination of Anton Cermak.