Thompson, William

Thompson, William (Hale) (“Big Bill”) (1869–1944) mayor; born in Boston, Mass. Born to wealth, he tried his hand at ranching in the West, then returned to Chicago where—except for a brief term as an alderman—he showed little interest in anything except sports. Backed by Chicago's political boss, Fred Lundin, he got himself elected mayor for two terms (1916–24); he dropped out of politics because Lundin was indicted for fraud and race riots marred his term, but he got himself reelected for another term (1928–32), this time backed by Al Capone, the crime boss. Thompson's campaign to purge the school board and school libraries of all "pro-British" elements resulted in his being derided throughout America. His political career faded out and he was the target of a number of suits charging corruption.