Draft:Logistics of the 1944 Democratic and Republican National Conventions

Logistics were impacted by World War II.

Site selection

Bth parties scheduled meetings in January 1944 at which they would select their convention location. https://www.newspapers.com/image/563627686 On January 11, Republicans selected Chicago. https://www.newspapers.com/image/584816432 on January

Details of bids

Chicago

By August 1943, early speculation was that Chicago and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were the favored cities to host the Democratic convention. Chicago had been the site of the party's 1932 convention and Philadelphia had been the site of its 1936 convention. At the same time, there was speculation that Republicans might be wary of Chicago because that might give greater prominence to Chicago newspaper publisher Robert R. McCormick, an isolationist who some Republicans feared could launch a high-profile policy battle at a convention against Wendell Wilkie (the party's 1940 presidential nominee) over the United States' military involvement in World War II. Locations speculated for a potential Republican convention included St. Louis, Missouri.

By late 1943, Chicago was regarded as the front-runner to host both conventions. https://www.newspapers.com/image/563627686

Prior to 1860, Baltimore, Maryland had been the most-preferred location for presidential conventions due to its close proximity to the U.S. national capitol of Washington, D. C., where many convention delegates worked. However, with the advent of railways as a dominant mode of transportation, after 1860 Chicago supplanted it. https://www.newspapers.com/image/560433557 After hosting its first convention in 1860 (hosting that year's Republican convention), Chicago had established itself as a frequent site of United States presidential nominating conventions. This was in large part due to its relatively central geographic location and its accessibility by railroad. Chicago had previously hosted 17 major party presidential conventions (six Democratic and eleven Republican) over the course of the 21 elections from 1860 through 1940. https://www.newspapers.com/image/146802562 It also hosted the notable 1912 and 1916 conventions of the Progressive/"Bull Moose" Party. Chicago would remain a frequent convention host until after the 1968 Democratic National Convention, ultimately hosting 25 major party conventions over the course of the 29 presidential elections that took place in that time. Subsequent to 1968, Chicago has been the host city for two further conventions (the 1996 and 2024 Democratic conventions). https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crains-forum-chicago-dnc-2024-and-beyond/chicago-has-long-been-premier-site-political-conventions

Chicago's infrastructure (expensive supply of hotels, dining, and entertainment venues) and its strong transportation was regarded to make it a strong convention host city. It was noted to have a much easier time accommodating party conventions than most other cities. Most United States cities were far less naturally suited at hosting such sizable events, and needed to make a greater effort to accommodate the logistics of such conventions.

Chicago's transportation accessibility was particularly important given the impact of wartime gasoline rationing on transportation. https://www.newspapers.com/image/563627686

Chicago had a very large venue to offer as a convention hall, with the Chicago Stadium arena having a 20,000-seat capacity.

Chicago also was also perhaps regarded to some extent as as superstitious favorite: two-thirds of conventions that had been held in the city had nominated victorious presidential tickets (seven of the eleven Republican conventions previously held in the city and four of the seven conventions held in the city). https://www.newspapers.com/image/563627686 In two previous election years (1884 and 1932) both parties had met in Chicago, https://www.newspapers.com/image/618037561

Chicago formally sent bids to each party on January 5, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/618037561

The U.S. Office of Defense Transportation indicated its preference that Chicago host the conventions, citing its transportation infrastructure and the large number of sleeping cars already positioned to serve the city in routine service. https://www.newspapers.com/image/618037561

Chicago's bids for each convention gave a cash promise of $75,000 per convention from local business leaders to pay for the costs of staging the conventions. https://www.newspapers.com/image/584816432 While this was the lower than the amounts bidding cities had promised parties when bidding for recent previous conventions, it was persuasive because Chicago was the only city willing to make a cash promise in their bid. https://www.newspapers.com/image/253419219 For instance, Chicago had offered $150,000 when it successfully bid for the 1932 RNC.https://www.newspapers.com/image/618037561 A citizens bid committee tasked with organizing the city's efforts to host the conventions (headed by Silas Strawn) would raise a total of $150,000 from which each party's $75,000 would be provided. The committee proposed that the conventions could do away with some of the "frills" seen at previous conventions in order to adjust to a smaller budget. https://www.newspapers.com/image/618037561

The bid committee estimated that in late June and early July (when the conventions were expected to be held) Chicago could provide 6,000 first-class hotel rooms as accommodations for conventiongoers, and estimated that the 1944 conventions would likely draw at most 10,000 visitors to Chicago. https://www.newspapers.com/image/618037561

New York City

New York City had offered to host the Republican convention, but did not provide a promise of local funding.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/253419219

Other cities

Several other midwest cities opted not to submit bids, citing over-congestion. https://www.newspapers.com/image/253419219

It was rumored in August 1943 that allies of Wendell Wilkie were seeking to have Cleveland, Ohio selected as the site of the Republican convention. Cleveland was regarded as a city whose residents strongly supported Wilkie. It was seen as having the potential of undermining anti-Wilkie Ohio politicians John W. Bricker and Robert A. Taft by having a convention in their home state with a crowd that would warmly respond to Wilkie. It was also believed that, despite this dynamic, Bricker and Taft would not be able to publicly oppose the selection of Cleveland, as it would have the optics of opposing the convention being brought to their own state. https://www.newspapers.com/image/146802562

Cleveland had been the site of two of the five most recent Republican conventions (1924 and 1936). https://www.newspapers.com/image/146802562

https://www.newspapers.com/image/146802562

By August 1944, there was speculation that St. Louis, Missouri might become a contender for the Republican convention.

Republican site selection vote

On July 11, 1944, the Republican National Committee unanimously voted to hold their party's convention in Chicago in the week of June 26. Chicago had been the only city whose bid committee promised a specific local cash contribution to fund the staging of the convention. https://www.newspapers.com/image/584816432

Shortly thereafter, members of the Republican National Committee took a two-day visit to Chicago in order to organize arrangements for the convention. This visit included a tour Chicago Stadium arena (the venue of the convention) by an arrangemetns committee. https://www.newspapers.com/image/854775769

Democratic site selection vote

Democrats selected their site with the expectation that their convention was likely to be perfunctory, as incumbent president Franklin D. Roosevelt was seen as a shoe-in for nomination to an fourth term.

Impact of World War II on logistics

The 1944 conventions were the only to occur during the United States' military participation in World War II. The wartime situation created concerns that war conditions (such as rationing of gasoline) might impede the transportation of delegates to a convention without government assistance to facilitate the conventions. Well in advance of the convention, Republican Party officials began discussing measures to mitigate such concerns, such as by decreasing the number of convention travelers. One such possibility was only allowing admission of official convention personnel and members of the media into the convention hall; or by otherwise restricting spectator tickets to local residents.

At the same January 11 meeting where the Republican National Committee voted to hold their convention in Chicago, delegate allocation rules were agreed to that resulted in 1,059 convention delegates. This was a slight increase from the 1,003 at the 1940 convention. https://www.newspapers.com/image/253419219

Scheduling

As of August 1943, there was early speculation that both parties' conventions would fall relatively late towards the election (compared to earlier elections), potentially even later than the 1940 presidential conventions when Republicans had met the week of June 24 and Democrats had met the week of July 15.

On January 11, 1944, the Republican National Committee voted to hold the Republican convention in the week of June 26. https://www.newspapers.com/image/584816432

Funding

Chicago had locally raised at total of $350,000 to stage the conventions, with each convention receiving $175,000. By holding their conventions in the same city, the parties managed to save on preparation expenses.

Entertainment and dinning

During the Republican convention, Chicago's Billy Goat Tavern gained notoriety for posting a notice saying "No Republicans Allowed". This caused Republican conventioneers to pack the place, demanding to be served, and led to increased publicity for the tavern.