George Bell Swift
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = George Bell Swift
|image =George Bell Swift, Mayor of Chicago (1).jpg
|caption = Bell in 1896
|birth_date = {{birth date|1845|12|14|mf=y}}
|birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio
|death_date = {{death date and age|1912|7|2|1845|12|14|mf=y}}
|death_place = Chicago, Illinois
|residence = Chicago, Illinois
|office = Mayor of Chicago
|term_start = April 8, 1895
|term_end = April 15, 1897
|predecessor = John Patrick Hopkins
|successor = Carter Harrison IV
|term_label2= Acting
|term_start2 = November 9, 1893
|term_end2 = December 27, 1893
|predecessor2 = Carter Harrison III
|successor2 = John Patrick Hopkins
|office3 = Chicago Alderman from the 11th Ward{{Cite web |url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |title=Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. |access-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}
|term_start3 = 1892
|term_end3 = 1894
|alongside3 = William D. Kent
|predecessor3 = Walter M. Pond
|successor3 = Alexander H. Watson
|term_start4 = 1879
|term_end4 = 1881
|alongside4 = Amos G. Throop (1879–1880)
Thomas N. Bond (1880–1881)
|predecessor4 = Ansel B. Cooke
|successor4 = Thaddeus Dean
|party = Republican
|religion =
|spouse = Lucy L. Brown
|children = Brown F. Swift, Herbert B. Swift, George L. Swift, Grace Bell Bachelder, Adelaide Pearl Taylor, Eldred B. Swift, Edith L. Swift
|website =
}}
George Bell Swift (December 14, 1845{{spaced ndash}}July 2, 1912; buried in Rosehill Cemetery) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1893; 1895–1897) for the Republican Party. He was selected to replace the assassinated Carter Harrison III on a temporary basis as mayor pro tem in 1893 and lost a bid for election as mayor later that year. He was elected mayor when he ran in 1895.[https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-george-bell-swift-biography/ Mayor George Bell Swift Biography: Mayor of Chicago, 1893, 1895-1897], Chicago Public Library
Early life and career
Swift was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Samuel W. Swift and Elizabeth Swift (born Bell). His family moved to Galena, Illinois when he was young. By his teenage years, the family was living in Chicago. Prior to serving as mayor of Chicago, Swift served two terms as an alderman from the 11th Ward (one term from 1879 to 1881 and one term from 1892 until 1894 (the latter of which he was serving during his acting mayoralty in 1893). From 1887 to 1889, he was the city's Commissioner of Public Works.{{cite book | last = Leonard | first = John W. | title = The Book of Chicagoans | publisher = A.N. Marquis & Co. | year = 1902 | location = Chicago | pages = 560}}
Swift was a proponent of the City Beautiful movement.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQcTAAAAIAAJ&q=1895&pg=PA475 |title = The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta|year = 1915}}
Acting mayoralty
After the assassination of Carter Harrison III, the Chicago City Council selected Swift to serve as pro tempore in a heated meeting on November 4, 1893. As mayor pro tempore, Swift would be the city's acting mayor, serving until a new mayor would be elected.{{cite web |title=A Disgraceful Brawl |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/525494001 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=The Helena Independent |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=en |date=November 9, 1893}} Swift was sworn in as acting mayor on November 9, 1893.{{cite web |title=Mayor George Bell Swift Inaugural Address, 1893 |url=https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-george-bell-swift-inaugural-address-1893/ |website=www.chipublib.org |publisher=Chicago Public Library |accessdate=26 May 2020}} The following month, he lost the special election to fill the remainder of Harrison's term, being defeated by Democrat John Patrick Hopkins. Hopkins took office as mayor on December 27, 1893, ending Swift's acting mayoralty.{{cite web |title=Mayor John Patrick Hopkins Inaugural Address, 1893 |url=https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-john-patrick-hopkins-inaugural-address-1893/ |website=www.chipublib.org |publisher=Chicago Public Library |accessdate=26 May 2020}}
Mayoralty
In 1895, Swift was elected mayor of Chicago, defeating Democratic nominee Frank Wenter by a broad margin. Swift was sworn in as mayor on April 8, 1895.{{cite web |title=Mayor George Bell Swift Inaugural Address, 1895 |url=https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-george-bell-swift-inaugural-address-1895/ |website=www.chipublib.org |publisher=Chicago Public Library |accessdate=26 May 2020}}
Swift declined to seek reelection in 1897, and was succeeded by Democrat Carter Harrison IV on April 15, 1897.{{cite book |last1=Morton |first1=Richard Allen |title=Roger C. Sullivan and the Making of the Chicago Democratic Machine, 1881-1908 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xA7MDAAAQBAJ |publisher=McFarland |accessdate=11 May 2020 |pages=103–106 |language=en |date=29 June 2016|isbn=9781476663777 }}{{cite web |title=Mayor Carter Henry Harrison IV Inaugural Address, 1897 |url=https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-carter-henry-harrison-iv-inaugural-address-1897/ |website=www.chipublib.org |publisher=Chicago Public Library |accessdate=26 May 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commons category-inline|George Bell Swift}}
- [https://www.chipublib.org/mayor-george-bell-swift-inaugural-address-1895/ Mayor George Bell Swift Inaugural Address, 1895], Chicago Public Library
{{Authority control}}
{{Mayors of Chicago}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, George Bell}}
Category:19th-century mayors of places in Illinois
Category:Politicians from Cincinnati
Category:Burials at Rosehill Cemetery
Category:Chicago City Council members
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