He was mayor for 24 years, ending in 1940 when he was defeated for reelection by Carl Zeidler.
During his administration the first bus system in the United States came into being after a number of pedestrians were run over by street trolleys that ran down the middle of the road. A highway system was started under his administration but federal funding was scarce.
The system included the Hoan Bridge, which was started during his administration but, due to delays from World War II and federal funding, remained uncompleted until 1976. The downtown approach ramps to the bridge were used in the making of the film, The Blues Brothers. The bridge was closed on December 13, 2000, after a major crack was discovered in a steel girder in the northbound span, which sagged about 4 feet. It was repaired a year later.