Pendergast, Thomas Joseph (1872-1945), was a Kansas City, Missouri, politician who rose from poverty to become one of the most powerful political bosses in the United States. He helped future United States President Harry S. Truman win several elections, including a run for the U.S. Senate in 1934.
Thomas (Big Tom) Pendergast was born to an Irish immigrant family in St. Joseph, Missouri, on July 22, 1872. In 1911, he succeeded his brother James (Big Jim) Pendergast as the head of a Democratic Party political machine in Kansas City. A political machine is a group that does favors for citizens in return for votes. The Pendergast machine won elections by dispensing jobs and assistance. Members took money from illegal bribes. Pendergast ruled with an iron fist, using violence when necessary and making deals with gangsters and political officials. He won public favor by backing improvement projects that benefited Kansas City.
Violence, fraud, and corruption eventually caught up with the Pendergast machine. In 1937 and 1938, 259 machine members were convicted on federal vote fraud charges. Pendergast was sentenced to 15 months in jail and 5 years probation for tax evasion in 1939. Without his leadership, his machine fell from power. He died on Jan. 26, 1945.
