Henry Day Penfield (July 23, 1900 – October 29, 1984) was an American politician and the mayor of the city of Evanston, Illinois.

Henry Day Penfield
10th Mayor of Evanston, Illinois
In office
1937–1941
Preceded byCharles Henry Bartlett
Succeeded bySamuel Gilbert Ingraham
Personal details
Born(1900-07-23)July 23, 1900
Evanston, Illinois
DiedOctober 29, 1984 (age 84)
Scottsdale, Arizona
SpouseHenrietta Calkins Penfield
Parent
  • Louis Chapin Penfield (father)
EducationB.A. Northwestern University

Biography edit

Penfield was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1900[1] the son of Louis Chapin Penfield.[2] He attended Evanston High School and finished his final year at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.[1] In 1923, he graduated with a B.A. from Northwestern University.[1] At Northwestern, he was a star athlete earning letters in football and swimming; and was named to the all-Western and all-Conference football teams.[1] After school, he took a job at the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company.[1] In 1931, he was elected as the treasure of Evanston, the youngest to have held the position.[1] In 1933, he ran for mayor alleging that the current administration tolerated the presence of speakeasies; he lost by 2,300 votes.[1] In 1935, he won re-election as treasurer and in 1937, he successfully won a 4-year term as the mayor of Evanston.[1] His tenure was difficult as the assessed value of property had declined while the population had increased by 10,000.[1] He ran for re-election as mayor in 1941 but was defeated by Samuel Gilbert Ingraham.[1] With the outbreak of World War II, he served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy in charge of recruitment in the Chicago area.[1] After the war, he worked for a recruitment firm, George Frye Associates[1] and then as the City Manager for Paradise Valley, Arizona[3] He retired in 1963.[1]

He died on October 29, 1984, in Scottsdale, Arizona.[1]

Personal life edit

He was married to Henrietta Calkins; they had two children: Nancy and Henry Jr.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Heise, Kenan (October 30, 1984). "Henry Day Penfield, 84, former Evanston mayor". The Chicago Tribune – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Cass, Judith (June 18, 1932). "Two Will become June Brides At North Shore Weddings Today". The Chicago Tribune – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Henry Day Penfield III". Arizona Republic. October 31, 1984 – via Newspapers.com.