Hague, Frank

Hague, Frank (hāg), 1876–1956, American politician, mayor of Jersey City, N.J., b. Jersey City. He worked his way up through the ranks of the local Democratic machine and was elected (1913) to the city board of commissioners. As mayor of Jersey City (1917–47), Hague built one of the strongest urban political machines in the nation. After his election to the Democratic National Committee in 1922, he was the most powerful Democrat in the state and a force to be reckoned with at national conventions. Accused of corruption and large-scale intimidation of municipal employees, Hague was a controversial figure. He lost much of his power in the 1949 elections, when his nephew, Frank Hague Eggers, was defeated in the mayoralty race; and in 1952 the state Democratic organization ousted him from his post as national committeeman.

Bibliography

See biography by R. J. Connors (1971); study by D. D. McKean (1940, repr. 1967).

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Hague, Frank (1876–1956) political boss; born in Jersey City, N.J. Initially running as a reformer, he was a Democratic Jersey City commissioner (1913–17) who created a political machine that allowed him to serve as mayor from 1917 to 1947. Despite charges of corruption, he controlled New Jersey Democrats, handpicking governors from 1919 to 1941; he also served as vice-chairman of the National Democratic Party (1924–52). Constitutional reforms ended his control of state elections and dissatisfied voters rejected his mayoral successor in 1947.

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Hague, Frank

(1876–1956) corrupt mayor of Jersey City, N. J., for 30 years. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 1173]

See : Demagoguery