Robert Kidney
Encyclopedia
Robert "James" Kidney was a school custodian in Chicago, Illinois, USA
at the Our Lady of the Angels School from 1945 to 1965. When a fire broke out at the school on December 1, 1958, Mr. Kidney was responsible for saving the lives of the students and teacher in one of the second floor classrooms. Four of his own children in school that day also survived the fire.
Robert Kidney was born in Holland, Michigan
and moved to Chicago in 1938. He married and began his job at the church and school in 1945.
Some feel Mr. Kidney was unjustly blamed for the fire and today there is an effort by survivors of the fire, led by the Friends of OLA organization, to have the Chicago city government pass a resolution proclaiming Mr. Kidney a hero, instead of being the person responsible. Also, there is a scholarship named for James Kidney awarded each year to a child of a Firefighter by Friends of OLA. Including notable St. Patrick alumnus, Danny Bowery, grandson of Thomas Power, one of the many Chicago firefighters who battled that blaze.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the Our Lady of the Angels School from 1945 to 1965. When a fire broke out at the school on December 1, 1958, Mr. Kidney was responsible for saving the lives of the students and teacher in one of the second floor classrooms. Four of his own children in school that day also survived the fire.
Robert Kidney was born in Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
and moved to Chicago in 1938. He married and began his job at the church and school in 1945.
Some feel Mr. Kidney was unjustly blamed for the fire and today there is an effort by survivors of the fire, led by the Friends of OLA organization, to have the Chicago city government pass a resolution proclaiming Mr. Kidney a hero, instead of being the person responsible. Also, there is a scholarship named for James Kidney awarded each year to a child of a Firefighter by Friends of OLA. Including notable St. Patrick alumnus, Danny Bowery, grandson of Thomas Power, one of the many Chicago firefighters who battled that blaze.
External links
- Our Lady of the Angels Website, by Eric Morgan