Albert Isaac Beach (1883-1939) Papers
(KC0072)
Albert Isaac Beach was born in
Olathe,
Kansas, on July 3, 1883.
He received his A.B. degree in 1905 from the University of Kansas
and his law degree from Washington
University in 1907.
On December 21, 1907, Beach married Marjorie Marshall.
Beach was elected mayor of
Kansas City, Missouri on
a reform platform in 1924. He was
reelected in 1926 and in 1928. Beach
was the first Republican to be elected to the post of mayor in 21 years.
His election was, in part, the result of a breach between Tom Pendergast
and Joe Shannon. Beach is given
partial credit for disrupting the operation of the Pendergast Machine in
Kansas City,
Missouri. During the three terms
in which Beach was mayor, a city manager form of government was instituted under
a new 1925 Charter that eliminated the two-house council.
Other occurrences during his tenure included improved budgeting of taxes,
the establishment of a City Plan Commission and a Zoning Board, the building of
a Municipal Airport,
the dedication of the Liberty Memorial, and the nomination of Herbert Hoover for
President at the 1928 Republican National Convention held in Kansas City.
Albert I. Beach died on
January 21, 1939 at age 55.
The collection contains his mayoral papers for his three terms
in office. They include information on all areas of city
government, including boards, commissions and finance.
Departmental and personal correspondence are the bulk of these
papers. 1924-1931.
300 folders.
INVENTORY
© State Historical Society of Missouri
updated:
Monday, February 07, 2011
State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center-Kansas City
(816) 235-1543 WHMCKC@umkc.edu