Jane Byrne, Chicago's only female mayor, dies at 81
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Jane Byrne, Chicago's first and only female mayor, died on Friday. She was 81.
Her daughter, Kathy Byrne, said the former mayor died around 10 a.m. Friday. She died peacefully with her family by her side while looking out over the city she loved, Kathy Byrne said.
Earlier this year, Byrne was honored by Chicago City Council and Governor Pat Quinn with the naming of the Jane Byrne Interchange, formerly the Circle Interchange, and the dedication of the Water Tower plaza.
"It was uncanny that the honors all happened this year," Kathy Byrne said. She said the honors had great meaning to her mother.
PHOTOS: Jane Byrne's Life in Pictures
Upon learning of Byrne's death, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Chicago lost a "great trailblazer."
"Mayor Byrne was a Chicago icon who lived a remarkable life of service to our city. From signing the first ordinance to get handguns off of our streets, to bringing more transparency to the City's budget, to creating the Taste of Chicago, Mayor Byrne leaves a large and lasting legacy. And as the first woman to serve as Mayor, she will always have a special place in our history," Emanuel said in a statement.
Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley released a statement, "Mayor Jane Byrne was a woman of strength, courage and commitment. She was a pioneer in public service whose impact on this city will remain for years to come. On behalf of the entire Daley family, I extend my deepest condolences to the Byrne family."
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner called Byrne a "pioneer."
"She was a pioneer and will be missed by all. The City of Chicago owes her a huge debt of gratitude," Rauner said.
In 1979, a fateful combination of back-to-back blizzards and beautiful weather on primary election day helped maverick candidate Byrne become the first female mayor of Chicago. Voters were furious about city's handling of the storms that dumped more than 35 inches of snow on Chicago. Six weeks later, they took revenge by ousting incumbent Mayor Michael Bilandic.
The second of six children, Byrne was born Jane Margaret Burke on May 24, 1933 in Chicago. She married Marine William Byrne in 1956. He died several years later in a plane crash. In 1978, Byrne married journalist Jay McMullen. They were married until his death in 1992.
Until her election, Byrne had never held a political office. Her campaign was launched after she was fired from a City Hall job by Bilandic. Few saw her as a threat, but she proved the pundits wrong and positioned herself as a reformer who battled the political machine and sexism.
Byrne made some progressive moves as mayor, such as hiring the first black school superintendent and recognizing the gay community. She is probably best remembered for temporarily moving into the Cabrini Green housing project in an attempt to bring attention to the violence and high crime rate.
She's been described as confident and combative. Don Rose, her former campaign manager, said her greatest political strength was being gutsy. But her style of governing was seen by others as chaotic. She went through many top administrators and managed to alienate many of the liberals who helped elect her in the first place.
Byrne struggled to control the old Daley machine, but ultimately could not hold on to the office. She was narrowly defeated in the 1983 Democratic primary for mayor by Harold Washington.
She ran against Washington in the 1987 primary, but was defeated. She never held a major office again.
She remained in Chicago, living in the same apartment building since the 1970s.
Services for Byrne will be held at St. Vincent de Paul, located at 1010 W. Webster Avenue in Chicago, on Monday, Nov. 17. Visitation will be held at 9 a.m., followed by a mass at 11 a.m.
She will be buried in Calvary Cemetery.
