A a post office was first established in Chicago on March 8, 1831, with Johnathan N. Baily, a fur trader, being appointed Chicago's first postmaster.

Chicago was long the hub of the Railway Mail Service of the United States. Chicago saw particularly large volumes of mail in the peak era of mail-order business by Chicago-based retailers Montgomery Ward and Sears.

Postmasters appointed before 1971 Until the establishment of the United States Postal Service in 1971, the president of the United States appointed local postmasters.

In the 19th century, many appointees of postal positions in the United States were patronage positions, with newspaper editors with close ties to the president's party often receiving postmastership positions.

Name Tenure President appointed byNotes Citation(s) Johnathan N. Baily March 31, 1831–Nov. 2, 1832 Andrew Jackson(Democrat) First postmaster John S.C. Hogan Nov. 2, 1832–1837 Sidney Abell Mar. 3, 1837–1841 Martin Van Buren(Democrat) William Stuart Jul. 10 1841–1845 John Tyler(Whig) Hart L. Stuart Apr. 25, 1845–1849 James K. Polk(Democrat) Richard L. Wilson Apr. 23, 1849–1850 Zachary Taylor(Whig) George W. Dole Sep. 25, 1850–1853 Millard Fillmore(Whig) Isaac Cook Mar. 22, 1853–1857 Franklin Pierce(Democrat) William Price Mar. 18, 1857–1858 James Buchanan(Democratic) Isaac Cook Mar. 9, 1858–1861 John Locke Scripps March 28, 1861–Mar. 9, 1865 Abraham Lincoln(Republican) Samuel Hoard Mar. 9, 1865–1866 Abraham Lincoln(Republican) Robert A. Gilmore Nov. 16, 1866–1867 Andrew Johnson(Democrat) Francis Trowbridge Sherman Aug. 27, 1867–1869 Francis A. Eastman Apr. 5, 1869–1873 Ulysses S. Grant(Republican) John McArthur Dec. 20, 1873–1877 Francis Wayland Palmer Feb. 26, 1877–1885 Rutherford B. Hayes(Republican) S. Corning Judd May 5, 1885–1888 Grover Cleveland(Democrat) Walter C. Newberry Nov. 19, 1888–1889 James A. Sexton Apr. 16, 1889–1893 Benjamin Harrison(Republican) Washington Hesing Nov. 25, 1893–1897 Grover Cleveland(Democrat) Charles Ulysses Gordon Mar. 19, 1897–1901 William McKinley(Republican) Frederick E. Coyne Mar. 19, 1901–1905 Fred A. Busse Dec. 16, 1905–1907 Theodore Roosevelt(Republican) Daniel A. Campbell Apr. 6, 1907–1917 William B. Carlile Mar. 16, 1917–1921 Woodrow Wilson(Democrat) Arthur C. Lueder Aug. 24, 1921–1923 Warren G. Harding(Republican) Resigned in 1923 to unsuccessfully run for mayor of Chicago in that year's election as a Republican. Grant B. Miller 1923 Warren G. Harding (Republican) Arthur C. Lueder 1923–1933 Warren G. Harding(Republican) Reappointed postmaster after losing mayoral election. Ernest J. Kruetgen Aug. 31, 1933–1948 Franklin D. Roosevelt(Democrat) John Haderlein Aug. 31, 1949–1952 Harry S. Truman(Democrat) Vincent F. Werner (acting postmaster) Aug. 31, 1952–Jul. 6, 1953 Carl A. Shroeder Jul. 6, 1953–1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower(Republican) Ralph G. Donegan Sep. 15, 1961–Nov. 2, 1961 Harry H. Semrow November 2, 1861–Mar. 1966 John F. Kennedy(Democrat) William Boschelli (acting postmaster) Mar. 18, 1966–Sep. 1966 Lyndon B. Johnson(Democrat) Henry W. McGee Jr. Nov. 5, 1966and1966–Mar. 1972 First African American to hold the position

Postmasters appointed after 1971 Name Tenure Notes Citation(s) Emmett E. Cooper Jr. June 2, 1973–April 28, 1977 Left post after being assigned regional postmaster general for the Eastern Region Frank C. Goldie Jul 16, 1977–1987 Janet Norfleet April 4, 1987–December 1990 First female postmaster of Chicago Norman L. Miller Jan. 26, 1991–Jan. 1992 Ormer Rogers Jr. Apr. 18, 1992–Jan. 1993 Jimmie Mason Jan. 9, 1993–Jul. 1994 Rufus Porter Jul. 16, 1994–Apr. 2001 Earl D. Flowers Apr. 7, 2001–Aug. 2002 Eric D. Chavez Aug. 10, 2002–Aug. 2004 Kelvin Mack Aug. 7, 2004–Sep. 2006 Gloria E. Tyson May 26, 2009–Mar. 3, 2011 Anthony B. Vaughan Nov. 16, 2013–2016 Tangela L. Bush Oct. 29, 2016–Jan. 2018 Wanda Prater Sep. 1, 2018–June 12, 2021 Was "officer in charge" prior to becoming postmaster Jewel Morrow

Officers in charge The following individuals served as "officer in charge of the Chicago Post Office" during periods in which there was a vacancy in the position of postmaster of Chicago:

Name Tenure Notes Citation(s) William G. Booras 1972–1973 William G. Booras Apr. 18, 1972–Jun. 2, 1973 Charles K. Kernan Apr. 27 1977–Jul. 16, 1977 Forest D. Anderson Jan. 30, 1987–Apr. 4, 1987 Ormer Rogers Jr. Nov. 30, 1990–Jan. 26, 1991 Dean Buchanan Jan. 3, 1992–Apr. 18, 1992 Kelvin Mack May. 1, 2004–Aug. 7, 2006 Gloria E. Tyson Sep. 30, 2006–May 26, 2009 Nancy Rettinhouse Feb. 26, 2011–May 31, 2011 Wanda Prater Jan. 20, 2018–Sep. 1, 2018 Became postmaster Eddie Morgan June 2021–Jan. 2022 Loretta Wilkins appointed May 9, 2023 Shoca Moore Holly Burrell appointed Feb. 1, 2025

See also Old Chicago Main Post Office

References