A. George Pradel
| Arthur George Pradel | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Naperville, Illinois | |
|
In office May 1995 – May 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Samuel Macrane |
| Succeeded by | Steve Chirico |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1938 Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | unaffiliated |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Pradel |
| Children | George, Carol and Gary |
| Residence | Naperville, Illinois |
| Profession | Retired Lieutenant of the Naperville Police Department, Former Mayor |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | U.S. Marine Corps |
Arthur George Pradel (c. 1938) was elected mayor of Naperville, Illinois in 1995 and re-elected in 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011 making him the longest-serving mayor of Naperville. A former Naperville Police officer and lifelong Naperville resident, Pradel is known for his many public appearances, friendly demeanor and his demonstrated enthusiasm for Naperville. In 2015, Pradel did not run for reelection, but declined to personally endorse a candidate. The election was won by Steve Chirico, a former city council member, who was sworn in on May 3, 2015.
Pradel grew up in Naperville, Illinois as the oldest of six children. After graduating from what is now Naperville Central High School, he served for three years in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1966 he joined the Naperville Police Department, where he spent much of his career visiting schools and speaking to children, earning him the nickname "Officer Friendly," a moniker that stuck for 28 years and became an asset in his future election as mayor. In 1977, Naperville started Safety Town, and Mayor Rybicki named Pradel to be its first teacher.
In 1992, Pradel underwent quadruple-bypass heart surgery. In 2006, he was hospitalized when doctors put in a stent after tests showed a blockage in one of his arteries. In February 2010, he was again hospitalized, and an angioplasty was performed to insert two additional stents.
In 2013, Pradel was awarded an honorary degree from North Central College for his tireless devotion to Naperville and the college.
In May 2015, Pradel retired from Mayor, but is still making public appearances -- even leading the 2015 Memorial Day Parade.
Pradel entered the 1995 race for mayor of Naperville with no political background or history as an elected official. He faced three opponents in a February primary election that would narrow the field to only two candidates. The other candidates in the primary were Archer Stella, Jack Tenison and Doug Krause. Krause, an active city councilman, had run for mayor previously in 1991 and lost to Samuel Macrane. Pradel won the most votes in the primary, but Tenison was behind by only four votes and was in second place, earning him a spot on the general election ballot. Tenison was a two-term city council member who also headed the human resources department for DuPage County.
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