Albert I. Beach

Who was Albert I. Beach?

Albert Isaac Beach, also known as Albert I. Beach, was the last mayor of Kansas City, Missouri before the city adopted the City Manager form of government. Beach was the son of George Henry Beach and Eva F. Beach.

He was born in Olathe, Kansas, graduated from the University of Kansas in 1905, and received his law degree from Washington University in 1907. Beach married Marjorie Marshall, on December 21, 1907.

He moved to Kansas City in 1908 and was elected the city council from the fifth ward in 1910 and the fourth ward in 1912. Elected mayor in 1924, officially intending to make government more efficient, he backed the a referendum to create the city manager government. Beach was Mayor of Kansas City, Mo., from 1924 to 1930.

The first city manager Henry F. McElroy took office in 1926 with the backing of big city boss Thomas Pendergast. McElroy took over Beach's office and he was relegated to a small office. The city manager government was to mark the zenith of Pendergast power.

Beach was delegate of the Republican National Convention from Missouri in 1928 and also Presbyterian. Member of the American Bar Association; Beta Theta Pi; Phi Delta Phi; Freemasons.