Garden State History: "The Boss" Frank Hague

Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague, "The Boss"

Before there was Bruce Springsteen, people throughout New Jersey as well as the United States knew Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague as “The Boss”. Born in 1876, Hague became a household celebrity whose name quickly rose to reverence. Even today, sixty-four years after his resignation as Mayor of Jersey City, Frank Hague is a man whose is revered by many. In the same token, “The Boss” was also the center of a universe of controversy and what many consider corruption.

Hague was a practitioner of patronage, an act of ensuring jobs and contracts for people in return for political support. At the young age of fourteen, after being expelled from school, Hague found himself an actor in a political play, doing various favors for local politicians. He was very successful in ensuring victory for a local man running for constable and caught the attention of the then Democratic Boss Little Bob Davis. From that moment on, Frank Hague become increasingly involved in the Democratic machine of Jersey City and climbed the ladder of political success.

In 1913, Hague participated in an election for the Police Commissioner of Jersey City and achieved victory. In this capacity, Hague cracked down on various crimes such as prostitution which, in turn, gained him friends in the religious arena. Despite this apparent moral clean-up, it has been said that Hague simply moved these criminal operations off the street and into local buildings. He often received a cut of the income in order to allow these criminals to continue their dealings.

After proving himself to be a reputable and efficient Policed Commissioner, Hague ran for reelection on a ticket with various political allies. All five of his friends won the election and, even though another man was intended to be appointed Mayor of Jersey City, Frank Hague was chosen in 1917. From 1917, Hague ran arguably one of the most successful and powerful political machine, not only in New Jersey, but also the nation. Like most political bosses of and before his time, Hague maintained power by showing compassion to his constituents and taking care of their needs.

Three groups of people found Mayor Hague one of the most appealing politicians they came across: Reformers against Robber Barons, Catholic immigrants who resented the contemporary Protestant status quo, and staunch Anti-Communists. First, Hague was and still is often referred to as a friend of the working man. He made every effort to ensure the average working individual was taken care of and not taken advantage of by the “big money” Barons. Second, Hague was an Irish-American Catholic who came from humble beginnings as the son of Irish immigrants. While Mayor Hague was sure to meet the needs of all his constituents, he held a special place for Catholics and was often known to have the clergy in his pocket amongst other people. Third, “The Boss” was an avid opponent of Communism and fought valiantly to keep all traces of it out of his city.

As one of the major industrial areas in New Jersey of the time, many companies often considered Jersey City when looking for a home. In most cases, the choice of where to settle certain companies fell between Paterson and Jersey City. One fact, however, put Jersey City over the top: Hague was sure to not let labor strikes break out on his watch. A breeding ground for radical labor movements, Paterson, New Jersey was the setting for many strikes. Thus, various Communists of the time looked to Paterson as a haven. Regardless of relatively high taxes, Jersey City was very appealing to people because “The Boss” essentially guaranteed that there would be no labor strikes and was very particular to the types of Unions he would allow to operate within the city limits.

As his years of mayor pressed on, Hague found himself as a President maker. In spite of originally supporter an opponent of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Al Smith, Hague eventually came to back FDR for President in 1932. Frank Hague made FDR a simple proposition: Start his campaign in New Jersey and Hague would ensure a large crowd at the event as well as possible votes in November. Roosevelt took Hague up on this offer and started his Presidential campaign in Sea Girt, New Jersey. “The Boss” once again made good on his promise and over 120,000 people were in attendance, a feat which undoubtedly impressed FDR. As all good political bosses do, Hague was sure to secure himself a favor in exchange for helping FDR. Accordingly, he was rewarded with funding for a new medical center in Jersey City that included a maternity ward, named after Hague’s mother Margaret (ironically, my father was born in this building, the Margaret Hague maternity ward).

In addition to his having a part in FDR becoming President, Hague also stretched his political tentacles to Congress. During 1921, Frank Hague urged his friend Mary Norton to run for Hudson County Freeholder. She accepts and wins. Two years later, Norton, again at the urging of her “mentor” Hague, runs and wins a seat in the United States House of Representatives. One of the first women in Congress, Norton was essentially Hague’s personal representative and voice in Congress until 1949 (which is a mere two years after Hague resigns from his position as Mayor of Jersey City).

During FDR’s New Deal, Hague was sure to see Jersey City thrive and receive as much assistance as it could. After creating the WPA, the Works Progress (later Projects) Administration, FDR named William Ely, an acquaintance of Hague, to head the program. Under Ely’s leadership of the WPA, Jersey City saw an influx of jobs and projects. About 97,000 jobs were set up, most of which went to Jersey City residents. Projects such as the Roosevelt Stadium, aptly named after FDR, and additions to the Medical Center were funded under the WPA. During this time, the Jersey City Medical Center offered free medical care to all Jersey City residents.

Hague throwing the first pitch at Roosevelt Stadium

Through many of his actions, regardless of how he accomplished them, Frank Hague won the hearts and love of Jersey City residents and Democrats across New Jersey. The result of the Jersey City Mayoral Election of 1937 proves this: Hague received 110,743 votes while his opponent received just 6,798. Despite this overwhelming support, as time went on, people grew increasingly impatient with “The Boss”. While he was ensuring the happiness of his fellow Jersey City residents, Hague was becoming more and more absent to his supporters. At his peak of power during the 1940’s, Hague owned various residencies (14 room apt in Jersey City; Shore house in NJ worth $124,000; Town house in NYC; Florida house) and often vacationed in Europe with his wife.

Since his supporters began to get bored with him, his “advisors” warned he may actually lose an election for the first time in his mayoral career. Heeding this warning, Frank Hague resigns mid-term in 1947. However, instead of simply waiting out his term and not seek reelection, the powerful boss decided to resign because he would be obligated to appoint a successor, thus maintaining some type of control in Jersey City. Hague then appoints his nephew Frank Eggers to replace him as Mayor of Jersey City. Regardless, two years later in 1949, Eggers loses his reelection to the man Hague feared would seek to replace him, John Kenney, the “New Boss”.

Even with his highest salary as mayor being $7500 a year, Mayor Frank Hague died in 1956 a millionaire. Through real estate speculation and cunning business practices, Hague was able to amass a huge fortune. This, coupled with his “charity” work as Mayor of Jersey City, earned him the support of countless Jersey City residents. “The Boss” rose from humble beginnings to one of the most powerful political bosses in the nation. Although a staunch and dominating Democrat, Hague found support and allies across party as well as state lines. Regardless of his possibly questionable practices, “The Boss” Mayor Frank Hague remains a revered New Jersey politician to many people and left a lasting mark on the history of, not just New Jersey, but the nation as a whole.