Draft:Walter J. Raymer
Walter J. Raymer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Raymer, circa 1904 | |
| President of the Chicago Board of Education | |
| In office April 13, 1927 – May 24, 1927 | |
| Preceded by | Edward B. Ellicott Julius F. Smietanka (acting) |
| Succeeded by | J. Lewis Coath |
| Member of the Chicago City Council | |
| In office 1901–1906 Serving with Francis D. Connery (1901–03), Adolph Larson (1903–1906), and Daniel D. Herlihy (1906–07) | |
| Preceded by | Charles H. Rector (redistricted) |
| Succeeded by | Francis D. Connery |
| Constituency | 28th ward |
| In office 1898–1901 Serving with John Bigane (1899–1900) and Manning T. Hackley (1900–01) | |
| Preceded by | Frank N. McCarthy |
| Succeeded by | Albert W. Beilfuss (redistricted) |
| Constituency | 15th ward |
| Personal details | |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Marie Jane Gallagher |
| Children | 3 |
Walter John Raymer
https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-walter-j-raymer-obituary/137263465/
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupid?key=ha012480662
https://rpwrhs.org/w/index.php?title=Raymer,_Walter_John Book of Chicagoans, 1917.
Early life
[edit]Raymer was born in Canada in 1864.[1] He was a British citizen at birth, since Canadians were regarded as British citizens at the time.[2]
Business and banking career
[edit]Raymer managed the Chicago branch of the American Pin Company.[1]
President of Fullerton-Southport Savings. https://www.newspapers.com/image/355145790
By 1925, was working as president of Fullerton State Bank and Keystone Trust & Savings Bank of Chicago as well as three other fiduciary institutions in Illinois https://www.newspapers.com/image/298331863
Chicago City Council
[edit]Elections
[edit]1898 Primary https://www.newspapers.com/image/87573438
general election https://www.newspapers.com/image/349898463
Was endorsed by the Municipal League https://www.newspapers.com/image/349899349
1900
Margin of victory https://www.newspapers.com/image/34472000
Endorsed by Municipal Voters League again https://www.newspapers.com/image/34187047
Served on credentials committee of the city's 1903 Republican convention https://www.newspapers.com/image/350279028
1905 https://www.newspapers.com/image/350267215
1906 backing by Deneen to be nominee for Drainage district https://www.newspapers.com/image/35063380
In 1907, Raymer declined to accept renomination for another term on the council.[2]
1901 mayoral candidacy
[edit]In 1901, Raymer was a candidate for the Republican nomination for mayor. In the city’s indirect primary process, delegates pledged to him were elected in several wards of the city. https://www.newspapers.com/image/34198075 all located in the northwestern portion of the city (near where he lived) https://www.newspapers.com/image/350207717 https://www.newspapers.com/image/34198075
Convention balloting https://www.newspapers.com/image/350207977
Traction issue
[edit]https://www.newspapers.com/image/349900584
https://www.newspapers.com/image/350277198
https://librarycollections.law.umn.edu/documents/darrow/Chicago_Traction.pdf
Raymer was one of the most passionate aldermen on the issue of local transportation, staunchly supporting early settlement of the traction issue.[2]
Iroquois Theatre fire
[edit]On October 30, 1903, Raymer was attending a council finance meeting when word was delivered by telephone that the Iroquois Theatre was on fire. Raymer's wife and three daughters were attending that evening's performance at the theater. Mrs. Raymer had brought her daughters to the performance, along with nine members of the neighbourhood youth club that their eldest daughter (Abbie) was a member of (the Femina Pleasure Club). Alderman Raymer immediately rushed to the site of the fire in an effort to find his wife and children. His wife and two younger daughters had been seated on the ground level of the theater and were among the first to exit the building after the fire broke out. They were reunited with him that evening outside of the theater. However, his eldest daughter (sixteen year old Abbie) had been seated on the third-balcony with the other members of her neighbourhood club. Abbie made it out, however four of the nine club members who had come to the show with her perished. The Raymer family spent hours searching city hospitals and morgues for Abbie before learning that she had escaped the building and ridden a streetcar back home.[3][1] The theater fire became the deadliest single-building fire in United States history, a distinction it still holds (with 602 deaths recorded).
In the aftermath of the disaster Alderman Raymer became a member of a special committee appointed to write a new theater ordinance for the city. In the process of deliberating the ordinance, Raymer and Henry F. Eidmann were the council's chief advocates for strong regulations to be adopted, putting them at odds with aldermen Charles Alling and Edward Cullerton who argued positions against strict regulations (taking positions favorable to theater owners).[3]
Two weeks after the fire on January 11, the council deliberated approximately 100 amendments to the proposed ordinance, Raymer vociferously objected to Alderman Alling motion to allow theaters to immediately reopen their ground level seating before the adoption of the full ordinance. Alderman Raymer remarked
The people who run the theaters have gambled on human life long enough. I am as anxious to protect property interests as anybody, but I am opposed to opening these fire traps. The Iroquois Theater ought never to have been opened. I cannot so soon forget the cry of those poor souls who died in the Iroquois fire. I cannot forget how closely my family escaped from wreck and ruin.[3]
At the night's meeting, Raymer criticised the proposed ordinance as being overly-weak. In the days that followed, the ordinance committee met to deliberate on a compromise revision to the ordinance that could pass the council. On January 15, the council agreed that it would hold off on voting again on an ordinance so that the ordinance committee could first review more than 100 amendments that had been offered by aldermen.[3]
On January 19, the council passed an amendment authored by Frank I. Bennett to allow theaters to begin reopening. The so-called "Bennett Resolution" included a proposal that had been suggested by Raymer to require theaters that wanted to apply for a temporary permit to reopen immediately to first post a $25,000 bond for permits to be granted the the council's theater committee.[3]
Charter question
[edit]Member of commission aiming to create a city charter for Chicago, which had been without a city charter since 1870. https://www.newspapers.com/image/354958017 This was unsuccessful, and Chicago has remained without a charter.
Other matters
[edit]Supported replacing the Wells Street Station with a station on the western side of the Chicago River in order to relieve bridge congestion on the river.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/350240183
Support for Busse's 1907 mayoral candidacy
[edit]There had been talk about Raymer potentially running for mayor in 1907.[4] https://www.newspapers.com/image/34533942 https://www.newspapers.com/image/350269797
https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-walter-j-raymer-republic/27140225/
Raymer refused to accept renomination for another term on the council. While the Republican Party had chosen to nominate him, he declined to run. The candidate Republicans substituted afterwards went on to lose to Democratic nominee _______.[2]
City purchasing agent
[edit]On May 6, 1907, Mayor Busse appointed Raymer as city purchasing agent.
Track elevation expert for city
[edit]Chicago and Oak Park Elevated Railroad
https://www.newspapers.com/image/380263655
https://www.newspapers.com/image/355194267
https://www.newspapers.com/image/380312610
https://www.newspapers.com/image/571540091
https://www.newspapers.com/image/350236274
https://www.newspapers.com/image/15377011
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1084072190
Development https://www.newspapers.com/image/34572075
Support for Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 presidential campaign
[edit]Raymer was the treasurer of Roosevelt's Illinois campaign committee. https://crowd.loc.gov/campaigns/rough-rider-bull-moose-theodore-roosevelt/nomination/mss382990134/mss382990134-21/
Chicago Board of Education
[edit]Appointment by Mayor Dever
[edit]Ryaymer was appointed to the board by Mayor Dever.
Early developments after Thompson became mayor, board presidency
[edit]_______Thompson-McAndrew controversy_________
After Mayor Thompson learned that the board intended to make Raymer its president, he issued a threat to investigate "into the disloyalty in the whole school system." He soon issued an ultimatum, "if they elected Walter J. Raymer president and go through with their plan to back Superintendent William McAndrew, I will demand that the federal government investigate charges of disloyalty in our school system". However, an hour after this threat was made the board proceeded with voting Raymer its president. After becoming president, he released a statement reading, "we hope to reach an agreement with mayor Thompson which will make it possible for Mr. McAndrew to stay here." https://www.newspapers.com/image/373142019
Before Raymer's election as president, Julius F. Smietanka had been serving as acting president of the board. Raymer's election meant that he would serve as president until May 24, when the school board would hold its annual election of new board officers. https://www.newspapers.com/image/354951548
McAndrew administrative hearing
[edit].jpg)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/898096112/?match=1&terms=walter%20j.%20raymer
Attacked for his support of McAndrew https://www.newspapers.com/image/354919137
I have tried to analyze the proceedings as they have been presented. We have heard individuals from the Pacific coast and we have heard individuals from the Atlantic coast express their opinions on the writings of other individuals. But I can't understand why real evidence upon the charges is not presented. I am willing to listen to the long-haired patriot from the Pacific coast. I am willing to listen to the witnesses from the Atlantic coast but I am not willing to listen to Mr. Russell, a Socialist whose greatest ambition is realised when you pit nation against nation.
https://time.com/archive/6661655/education-mcandrew-walks-out/
During the administrative hearing, Chicago City Solicitor Frank Peska wrote Chicago Board of Education member Walter J. Raymer a letter demanding that he resign due to his defense of McAndrew. Peska declared that Raymer did not represent the attitude of the Polish residents living in Peska's ward of the city.[5]
Death
[edit]Raymer died in 1935.
Personal life
[edit]Raymer married Marie Jane Gallagher (1862–1965). Together they had three-daughters: Abigail M. "Abbie" (1887–1918), Alice (1890–1979), and Ellen May (1892–1946). Abbie Raymer died in 1918 at the age of thirty, and was buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery. She died at a time when the 1918 flu pandemic was at its worst in Chicago, though it is unclear if her death was related.[1]
Member of the Royal League.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "High school girls club lost four members at Iroquois Theater fire". www.iroquoistheater.com.
- ^ a b c d e https://www.newspapers.com/image/350246288
- ^ a b c d e "Board of Aldermen in Chicago Played a Role in Iroquois Theater fire". www.iroquoistheater.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ a b https://www.newspapers.com/image/34538977
- ^ "Historian Sues Thompson's Friend". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). The Associated Press. December 8, 1927. Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.