166th New York State Legislature

The 166th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 8, 1947, to March 13, 1948, during the fifth and sixth years of Thomas E. Dewey's governorship, in Albany.

166th New York State Legislature
165th 167th
The facade of the New York State Capitol building in bright daylight
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1, 1947 – December 31, 1948
Senate
Members56
PresidentLt. Gov. Joe R. Hanley (R)
Temporary PresidentBenjamin F. Feinberg (R)
Party controlRepublican
1947: (41–14–1)
1948: (40–15–1)
Assembly
Members150
SpeakerOswald D. Heck (R)
Party controlRepublican
1947: (109–40–1)
1948: (107–42–1)
Sessions
1stJanuary 8 – March 18, 1947
2ndJanuary 7 – March 13, 1948

Background

edit

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1943, 56 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were Kings (nine districts), New York (six), Bronx (five), Queens (four), Erie (three), Westchester (three), Monroe (two) and Nassau (two). The Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county (except Hamilton Co.), or of contiguous area within one county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The American Labor Party, the Liberal Party and the Communist Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

edit

The New York state election, 1946, was held on November 5. Governor Thomas E. Dewey and Lieutenant Governor Joe R. Hanley were re-elected, both Republicans. The other five statewide elective offices up for election were carried by four Republicans, and the Democratic Chief Judge with Republican, American Labor and Liberal endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 2,826,000; Democrats 1,532,000; American Labor 429,000; Liberals 177,000; and Communists 90,000.[1]

All four women members of the previous legislature—State Senator Rhoda Fox Graves (Rep.), of Gouverneur; and Assemblywomen Mary A. Gillen (Dem.), of Brooklyn; Gladys E. Banks (Rep.), of the Bronx; and Genesta M. Strong (Rep.), of Plandome Heights—were re-elected. Janet Hill Gordon (Rep.), a lawyer of Norwich; Elizabeth Hanniford (Rep.), a statistician of the Bronx; Mildred F. Taylor (Rep.), a coal dealer of Lyons; and Maude E. Ten Eyck (Rep.), of Manhattan; were also elected to the Assembly.

The New York state election, 1947, was held on November 4. No statewide elective offices were up for election. Four vacancies in the State Senate, and four vacancies in the Assembly were filled.[2]

Sessions

edit

The Legislature met for the first regular session (the 170th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 8, 1947;[3] and adjourned on March 18.

Oswald D. Heck (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker.

Benjamin F. Feinberg (Rep.) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.

The Legislature met for the second regular session (the 171st) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1948;[4] and adjourned on March 13.[5]

State Senate

edit

Districts

edit

Members

edit

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. MacNeil Mitchell, Sidney A. Fine and George T. Manning changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblyman Ernest I. Hatfield was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Senator Party Notes
1st S. Wentworth Horton Republican
2nd John D. Bennett* Republican
3rd William S. Hults Jr.* Republican
4th Seymour Halpern* Republican
5th Frederic E. Hammer* Republican
6th Charles T. Corey Republican
7th Irwin Pakula Republican
8th James J. Crawford* Dem./Lib.
9th Richard McCleery Republican
10th Kenneth Sherbell Am. Labor/Rep.
11th Fred G. Moritt* Dem./Am. Labor
12th Samuel L. Greenberg* Dem./Am. Labor
13th C. Corey Mills Rep./Am. Labor
14th Joseph E. Parisi* Rep./Am. Labor
15th Louis L. Friedman* Democrat
16th William Rosenblatt* Democrat
17th Robert E. Johnson Republican in August 1947, appointed as D.A. of Richmond Co.
John M. Braisted Jr. Democrat on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
18th Elmer F. Quinn* Dem./Am. Labor Minority Leader
19th Francis J. Mahoney* Dem./Am. labor
20th MacNeil Mitchell* Republican
21st Harold I. Panken Democrat
22nd Alfred E. Santangelo Democrat
23rd Alexander A. Falk* Democrat in May 1947, appointed to the New York Civil Service Commission
Joseph Zaretzki Democrat on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
24th Sidney A. Fine* Democrat
25th Arthur Wachtel* Democrat
26th Isidore Dollinger* Democrat on November 2, 1948, elected to the 81st U.S. Congress
27th Paul A. Fino* Republican
28th Charles V. Scanlan Republican
29th William F. Condon* Republican
30th J. Raymond McGovern* Republican
31st Pliny W. Williamson* Republican Chairman of Judiciary
32nd Thomas C. Desmond* Republican Chairman of Affairs of Cities
33rd Frederic H. Bontecou* Republican on May 9, 1947, tendered his resignation, effective June 1[6]
Ernest I. Hatfield* Republican on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
34th Arthur H. Wicks* Republican Chairman of Finance
35th Peter J. Dalessandro Democrat
36th Gilbert T. Seelye* Republican
37th Thomas F. Campbell* Republican
38th Benjamin F. Feinberg* Republican re-elected Temporary President
39th Rhoda Fox Graves* Republican
40th Fred A. Young* Republican
41st Robert C. Groben Republican
42nd Isaac B. Mitchell* Republican Chairman of Internal Affairs; resigned on June 12, 1947[7]
Henry A. Wise Republican on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
43rd John H. Hughes Republican
44th Walter W. Stokes* Republican Chairman of Conservation
45th Floyd E. Anderson* Republican
46th Chauncey B. Hammond* Republican
47th Henry W. Griffith* Republican
48th Fred S. Hollowell* Republican
49th Austin W. Erwin* Republican
50th George T. Manning Republican
51st Allen J. Oliver* Republican Chairman of Aviation
52nd William Bewley* Republican
53rd Walter J. Mahoney* Republican
54th Edmund P. Radwan* Republican
55th Charles O. Burney Jr.* Republican
56th George H. Pierce* Republican

Employees

edit

State Assembly

edit

Assemblymen

edit

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st D-Cady Herrick 2nd Democrat
2nd George W. Foy* Democrat
3rd John McBain Republican
Allegany William H. MacKenzie* Republican
Bronx 1st Patrick J. Fogarty* Democrat on October 28, 1947, appointed to the Domestic Relations Court[8]
Bernard C. McDonnell Democrat on February 17, 1948, elected to fill vacancy[9]
2nd Richard M. Goldwater Democrat
3rd Edward T. Galloway* Democrat
4th A. Joseph Ribustello Republican
5th Joseph A. Martinis Democrat
6th Julius J. Gans* Democrat
7th Louis Peck* Democrat
8th Louis Bennett* Democrat
9th Elizabeth Hanniford Republican
10th John J. DePasquale* Republican
11th Gladys E. Banks* Republican
12th Nathan A. Lashin* Democrat
13th William J. Drohan Republican
Broome 1st Richard H. Knauf* Republican
2nd Orlo M. Brees* Republican
Cattaraugus Leo P. Noonan* Republican
Cayuga Charles A. Cusick Republican
Chautauqua E. Herman Magnuson* Republican
Chemung Harry J. Tifft* Republican
Chenango Janet Hill Gordon Republican
Clinton James A. FitzPatrick Republican
Columbia Willard C. Drumm Republican
Cortland Harold L. Creal* Republican
Delaware Elmer J. Kellam* Republican
Dutchess Ernest I. Hatfield* Republican on June 18, 1947, resigned to run for the State Senate
Robert Watson Pomeroy Republican on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
Erie 1st Frank A. Gugino* Republican
2nd Justin C. Morgan* Republican
3rd William J. Butler* Republican
4th Gerald F. Sullivan Republican
5th Philip V. Baczkowski* Democrat
6th George F. Dannebrock* Republican
7th Julius Volker* Republican
8th John R. Pillion* Republican
Essex L. Judson Morhouse* Republican
Franklin William L. Doige* Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Joseph R. Younglove* Republican
Genesee John E. Johnson Republican
Greene William E. Brady* Republican
Herkimer Leo A. Lawrence* Republican
Jefferson Orin S. Wilcox* Republican
Kings 1st Max M. Turshen* Democrat
2nd J. Sidney Levine* Democrat
3rd Mary A. Gillen* Democrat
4th Bernard Austin* Democrat
5th Seymour Brener Republican
6th Robert J. Crews* Republican resigned
John J. Ryan Democrat on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
7th Louis Kalish Democrat
8th Thomas A. Carney Republican
9th Frank J. McMullen* Republican
10th Lewis W. Olliffe* Republican
11th Eugene F. Bannigan* Democrat
12th Frank P. Davern Republican
13th Lawrence P. Murphy* Democrat
14th Harry Gittleson* Democrat
15th John Smolenski* Democrat
16th Frank J. Pino* Democrat
17th John J. Walsh* Democrat
18th Irwin Steingut* Democrat Minority Leader
19th Philip J. Schupler* Democrat
20th John E. Beck* Republican
21st Thomas A. Dwyer* Democrat
22nd Joseph Soviero Republican
23rd Alfred A. Lama* Democrat
24th Samuel Kaplan Am. Labor
Lewis Benjamin H. Demo* Republican
Livingston Joseph W. Ward* Republican
Madison Wheeler Milmoe* Republican
Monroe 1st Joseph W. Bentley Republican
2nd Abraham Schulman* Republican
3rd Raymond H. Combs Republican
4th Thomas F. Riley* Republican
Montgomery John F. Bennison* Republican
Nassau 1st Frank J. Becker* Republican
2nd Joseph F. Carlino* Republican
3rd Genesta M. Strong* Republican
4th David S. Hill Jr.* Republican
New York 1st Maude E. Ten Eyck Republican
2nd Louis DeSalvio* Democrat
3rd Owen McGivern* Democrat
4th Leonard Farbstein* Democrat
5th Irwin D. Davidson* Democrat
6th Francis X. McGowan* Democrat
7th Howard Henig Republican
8th Archibald Douglas Jr.* Republican
9th John R. Brook* Republican
10th John P. Morrissey* Democrat
11th William E. Prince* Democrat
12th William T. Andrews* Democrat
13th Harold A. Stevens Democrat
14th Hulan E. Jack* Democrat
15th Samuel Roman Republican
16th Louis A. Cioffi Democrat
Niagara 1st Jacob E. Hollinger* Republican
2nd Ernest Curto* Republican
Oneida 1st Harlow E. Bacon* Republican
2nd Richard R. Griffith Republican
Onondaga 1st Searles G. Shultz Republican
2nd Clellan S. Forsythe* Republican
3rd Lawrence M. Rulison* Republican
Ontario Harry R. Marble* Republican
Orange 1st Lee B. Mailler* Republican Majority Leader[10]
2nd Wilson C. Van Duzer* Republican
Orleans John S. Thompson* Republican
Oswego Henry D. Coville* Republican
Otsego Paul L. Talbot* Republican
Putnam D. Mallory Stephens* Republican Chairman of Ways and Means
Queens 1st Alexander Del Giorno* Democrat
2nd William E. Clancy* Democrat
3rd Joseph H. Brinster* Republican
4th George T. Clark Republican
5th Thomas F. Hurley* Republican
6th Meyer Wilen Republican
7th George Archinal* Republican resigned on July 31, 1947, and was appointed as Deputy
Chief Clerk of the Surrogate's Court of Queens County[11]
George P. Stier Dem./A.L./Lib. on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
8th Samuel Rabin* Republican
9th Fred W. Preller* Republican
10th Angelo Graci* Republican
11th Sidney Paymer Republican
12th Henry Schneider Jr. Republican
Rensselaer John S. Finch* Republican
Richmond 1st Arthur T. Berge* Republican
2nd Edmund P. Radigan* Republican
Rockland Robert Walmsley* Republican
St. Lawrence Allan P. Sill* Republican
Saratoga John L. Ostrander* Republican
Schenectady Oswald D. Heck* Republican re-elected Speaker
Schoharie Arthur L. Parsons* Republican
Schuyler Jerry W. Black* Republican
Seneca Lawrence W. Van Cleef* Republican
Steuben William M. Stuart* Republican
Suffolk 1st Edmund R. Lupton* Republican
2nd Elisha T. Barrett* Republican
Sullivan James G. Lyons* Democrat
Tioga Myron D. Albro* Republican
Tompkins Stanley C. Shaw* Republican
Ulster John F. Wadlin* Republican
Warren Harry A. Reoux* Republican Chairman of Judiciary
Washington Henry Neddo* Republican
Wayne Mildred F. Taylor Republican
Westchester 1st Malcolm Wilson* Republican
2nd Fred A. Graber* Republican
3rd P. Raymond Sirignano* Republican resigned to run for City Judge of Mount Vernon
Harold D. Toomey Republican on November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
4th Frank S. McCullough* Republican
5th Christopher H. Lawrence* Republican
6th Theodore Hill Jr.* Republican
Wyoming Harold C. Ostertag* Republican
Yates Vernon W. Blodgett* Republican

Employees

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ The Communist Party did not nominate a candidate for Governor; this number is the average of the vote for Comptroller and Attorney General, the only two nominations made on the state ticket.
  2. ^ MINOR PARTIES LOSE in The New York Times on November 5, 1947 (subscription required)
  3. ^ LEGISLATURE SEATS 8 WOMEN, A RECORD in The New York Times on January 9, 1947 (subscription required)
  4. ^ LEGISLATURE PUTS TEACHER PAY FIRST AS IT OPENS TODAY in The New York Times on January 8, 1948 (subscription required)
  5. ^ LEGISLATURE LETS RENT LAWS STAND AS SESSION CLOSES in The New York Times on March 14, 1948 (subscription required)
  6. ^ BONTECOU RESIGNS FROM STATE SENATE in The New York Times on May 10, 1947 (subscription required)
  7. ^ STATE SENATOR RESIGNS in The New York Times on June 13, 1947 (subscription required)
  8. ^ NEW JUDGES OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURT in The New York Times on October 29, 1947 (subscription required)
  9. ^ FEB. 17 VOTE SEEN AS WALLACE TEST in The New York Times on January 15, 1948 (subscription required)
  10. ^ MAILLER STANDS UP UNDER FIRE OF FOE in The New York Times on January 9, 1947 (subscription required)
  11. ^ ARCHINAL RESIGNS FROM ASSEMBLY in The Wave, of Rockaway Beach, Queens, on July 31, 1947

Sources

edit