Patrick Nash

Patrick Austin Nash
Patrick Nash, 1922
Personal details
Born	March 2, 1863 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 6, 1943 (1943-10-07) (aged 80) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Kelley Nash
Children	John, Thomas, Mary Ross
Residence	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Religion	Catholic

Patrick A. Nash (March 2, 1863 – October 6, 1943) was a political boss in the early and mid-twentieth century in Chicago, which is in Cook County, Illinois, United States. He was in large part responsible for consolidating elements of the Cook County Democratic Party into a political machine. He evolved from a local sewage contractor to a political boss by carefully selecting his political allies. His prominence stems from the death of Anton Cermak and his political career is intertwined with that of Edward Joseph Kelly. The success of this machine was attributed to its decision to be more inclusive than its predecessors. This meant that Nash had success at dealing with a variety of politicians such as William L. Dawson.

Nash was born on Chicago's Rush Street, near Delaware Place. When he was six, his family moved to the West Side of Chicago. However, it is his final residential address for the King-Nash House at 3234 West Washington Boulevard where he lived from 1925 until 1943 that became a Chicago Landmark.

He became a ward committeeman under Roger Sullivan, an earlier Chicago political boss. At the same time, Nash and his brother Richard formed Nash Brothers, a contractor company that specialized in sewer building. The company remained in place for more than 40 years and earned more than $14 million from work for the Chicago Sanitary district.Edward Joseph Kelly was the chief engineer of the Sanitary district in the 1920s under Nash's patronage. In 1925, city contracts for Nash Brothers resulted in Nash having one of the ten highest incomes in the city of Chicago.