Political Ethics and Public Style in the Early Career of Jersey City’s Frank Hague

Abstract

This essay charts the political rise of Frank Hague, Jersey City's infamous mayor from 1917-1947. Although most historical attention focuses on his long tenure as mayor, Hague's pre-mayoral career provides an instructive example of how urban politicians used public spectacle, the media, ethnic identity, and middle class mores to redefine American urban politics. Before becoming mayor, Hague crafted a public persona that appealed to both middle-class and working-class ethnic voters by reinventing himself as a Progressive while still retaining the showmanship and personal appeals of machine politics. Hague straddled two distinct political traditions, presenting himself simultaneously as a "pol," rooted in the historical mores of the "Horseshoe" (his home neighborhood), as well as a good government advocate, appealing to Jersey City's native-born middle class—focusing on clean water, public safety, and personal responsibility. In doing so, Hague provided a template for ethnic reform mayors who followed, from Fiorello LaGuardia and Richard Daley to Rudolph Giuliani and Ed Rendell.