On May 8, historian Keith Koeneman visited Elmhurst College to talk about his recently released book, First Son: The Biography of Richard M. Daley.
Speaking to an audience of 250, the Chicago native explained why he chose to write about the city’s retired mayor and how he got key players in the Daley administration to talk to him.
In First Son, Koeneman chronicles the complex and often contradictory life of an American political legend. Koeneman also demonstrates how Daley’s influence expanded beyond his beloved city, especially after protégés Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, as well as his confidant and brother Bill Daley, became major players under President Obama.
Publishers Weekly writes that “Native son Koeneman colorfully and familiarly details the rise of the Daleys and their imprint on their hometown.”