Frank J. (Frank Joseph) Loesch

Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1852, Frank J. Loesch built his career in Chicago as an attorney and civic reformer. He is best remembered as a founder of the Chicago Crime Commission and as a determined opponent of political corruption and organized-crime violence, especially during the Prohibition era.

Loesch was active well beyond the courtroom. He served in major civic and legal roles, including leadership in the Chicago Bar Association, and earned a reputation for public-minded work that connected law, reform, and city government. That mix of legal skill and civic energy made him an important figure in early 20th-century Chicago.

He also wrote Personal Experiences During the Chicago Fire, 1871, a brief but valuable eyewitness account of one of the city’s defining disasters. He died in 1944, leaving behind a record of reform work and writing rooted deeply in Chicago history.