George Dunne
| George W. Dunne | |
|---|---|
| President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners | |
|
In office January 1969 – December 1990 |
|
| Preceded by | Richard B. Ogilvie |
| Succeeded by | Richard Phelan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 20, 1913 Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | May 28, 2006 (aged 93) Hebron, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Claudia Dunne (née Grimaldi) |
| Children | Three |
| Profession | Insurance Broker Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 Illinois Air National Guard
|
| Years of service | 1941-1945; 1951-1953 |
| Unit | 126th Fighter-Bomber Wing |
George W. Dunne (February 20, 1913 – May 28, 2006) was an American Democratic Party politician from Chicago, Illinois. He was President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1969 to 1991; the longest service of anyone holding that office.
He was born in the Near North Side of Chicago, one of eight children of John and Ellen Dunne. His father died when he was twelve years old. He graduated from De La Salle Institute and attended Northwestern University for a year but dropped out. He became active in Democratic politics and was employed by the Park District, an agency in which many Democratic precinct captains were given patronage jobs. During World War II and the Korean War he served overseas as a member of the Illinois Air National Gaurd's 126th Fighter-Bomber Wing.
He was appointed to a vacant seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1955, and was re-elected in 1956, 1958, 1960, and 1962. After eight years he became floor leader for the House Democrats.
In 1963 Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley appointed him to a seat on the Cook County Board.
In 1969, he became President of the County Board, succeeding Richard B. Ogilvie, who had been elected Governor. Despite periodic revelations of questionable financial dealings, of which he was continuously cleared (Dunne owned and operated an insurance agency throughout his career in elected office), Dunne was re-elected in 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, and 1986. He was seen as a potential successor to Mayor Daley. Dunne succeeded the late mayor Daley as Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Committee in 1976 after Daley's death. In 1982, Dunne lost the party chairmanship to Alderman Edward Vrdolyak, an ally of Mayor Jane Byrne. Dunne was aligned with Chicago's first African-American Mayor Harold Washington during the Council Wars period and was re-elected to the party chairmanship after Vrydolyak resigned following his defeat by Washington in the 1987 Mayoral election.
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