160th New York State Legislature

The 160th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to May 8, 1937, during the fifth year of Herbert H. Lehman's governorship, in Albany.

160th New York State Legislature
←159th 161st→
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1937
Senate
Members51
PresidentLt. Gov. M. William Bray (D)
Temporary PresidentJohn J. Dunnigan (D)
Party controlDemocratic (29–22)
Assembly
Members150
SpeakerOswald D. Heck (R)
Party controlRepublican (76–74)
Sessions
1stJanuary 6 – May 8,[1] 1937

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. 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 New York (nine districts), Kings (eight), Bronx (three), Erie (three), Monroe (two), Queens (two) and Westchester (two). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Socialist Party and the Communist Party also nominated tickets. The American Labor Party appeared for the first time on the ballot, but only endorsed Gov. Herbert H. Lehman, and made no other nominations on the state ticket.

Elections

The New York state election, 1936, was held on November 3. Governor Herbert H. Lehman and Lieutenant Governor M. William Bray were re-elected, both Democrats. The other five statewide elective offices were also carried by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats 2,708,000; Republicans 2,450,000; American Labor 262,000; Socialists 87,000; and Communists 36,000.

All three women legislators were re-elected: State Senator Rhoda Fox Graves (Rep.), of Gouverneur, a former school teacher who after her marriage became active in women's organisations and politics; and Assemblywomen Doris I. Byrne (Dem.), a lawyer from the Bronx, and Jane H. Todd (Rep.), of Tarrytown.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1937; and adjourned on May 8.[2]

John J. Dunnigan (Dem.) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.

At the opening of the session, eight Republican assemblymen (Barrett, Bartholomew, Conway, Hall, Herman, Lupton, Stephens and Wadsworth) refused to re-elect Speaker Irving M. Ives because of the latter's opposition to Gov. Lehman's relief legislation during the previous session. After a week of deadlock, on January 12, Majority Leader Oswald D. Heck was elected Speaker with 72 votes against 67 for Irwin Steingut (Dem.). Heck then appointed Ives as Majority Leader.[3]

State Senate

Districts

Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Peter T. Farrell and Erastus Corning 2nd changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

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

District Senator Party Notes
1st George L. Thompson* Republican re-elected
2nd Joseph D. Nunan, Jr.* Democrat re-elected
3rd Peter T. Farrell* Democrat
4th Philip M. Kleinfeld* Democrat re-elected
5th John J. Howard* Democrat re-elected
6th Edward J. Coughlin* Democrat re-elected
7th Jacob J. Schwartzwald* Democrat re-elected
8th Joseph A. Esquirol* Democrat re-elected
9th Jacob H. Livingston* Democrat re-elected
10th Jeremiah F. Twomey* Democrat re-elected; Chairman of Finance
11th James J. Crawford* Democrat re-elected
12th Elmer F. Quinn* Democrat re-elected
13th Thomas F. Burchill* Democrat re-elected
14th William J. Murray Democrat
15th John L. Buckley* Democrat re-elected
16th John J. McNaboe* Democrat re-elected
17th Leon A. Fischel Democrat
18th John T. McCall* Democrat re-elected
19th Duncan T. O'Brien* Democrat re-elected
20th A. Spencer Feld* Democrat re-elected
21st Lazarus Joseph* Democrat re-elected
22nd Julius S. Berg* Democrat re-elected
23rd John J. Dunnigan* Democrat re-elected; re-elected Temporary President
24th Rae L. Egbert* Democrat re-elected
25th Pliny W. Williamson* Republican re-elected
26th James A. Garrity* Dem./Am. L. re-elected
27th Thomas C. Desmond* Republican re-elected
28th Frederic H. Bontecou* Republican re-elected
29th Arthur H. Wicks* Republican re-elected
30th Erastus Corning 2nd* Democrat
31st Clifford C. Hastings Republican
32nd Edwin E. Miller* Republican re-elected
33rd Benjamin F. Feinberg* Republican re-elected
34th Rhoda Fox Graves* Republican re-elected
35th Harry F. Dunkel* Republican re-elected
36th William H. Hampton* Republican re-elected
37th Perley A. Pitcher* Republican re-elected; Minority Leader
38th Francis L. McElroy Dem./Am. L.
39th Walter W. Stokes* Republican re-elected
40th Roy M. Page Republican
41st C. Tracey Stagg* Republican re-elected
42nd Charles J. Hewitt* Republican re-elected
43rd Earle S. Warner* Republican re-elected
44th Joe R. Hanley* Republican re-elected
45th Emmett L. Doyle Dem./Am. L.
46th George F. Rogers Dem./Am. L.
47th William H. Lee* Republican re-elected
48th Walter J. Mahoney Republican
49th Stephen J. Wojtkowiak* Dem./Am. L. re-elected
50th Nelson W. Cheney* Republican re-elected
51st Leigh G. Kirkland* Republican re-elected

Employees
  • Clerk: James J. Reilly
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: William F. Egloff Jr.
  • Stenographer: Robert Murray

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st George W. Foy Democrat
2nd John P. Hayes* Democrat
3rd John McBain Rep./Union
Allegany William H. MacKenzie* Republican
Bronx 1st Matthew J. H. McLaughlin* Democrat
2nd Doris I. Byrne* Democrat resigned on May 8 and appointed Deputy Secretary of State
3rd Carl Pack* Democrat
4th Isidore Dollinger Democrat
5th Julius J. Gans* Democrat
6th Peter A. Quinn* Democrat
7th Bernard R. Fleisher* Democrat
8th John A. Devany Jr.* Democrat
Broome 1st Edward F. Vincent* Republican Chairman of Public Institutions
2nd James E. Hill* Republican
Cattaraugus James W. Riley* Republican Chairman of Military Affairs
Cayuga Andrew D. Burgdorf* Republican Chairman of Penal Institutions
Chautauqua 1st Lloyd J. Babcock* Republican Chairman of Pensions
2nd Carl E. Darling* Republican
Chemung Chauncey B. Hammond* Republican
Chenango Irving M. Ives* Republican Majority Leader
Clinton Emmett J. Roach Democrat
Columbia Frederick A. Washburn* Republican Chairman of Labor and Industries
Cortland John B. Briggs Republican
Delaware E. Ogden Bush* Republican Chairman of Public Health
Dutchess 1st Howard N. Allen* Republican Chairman of Agriculture
2nd Emerson D. Fite* Republican
Erie 1st Frank A. Gugino* Republican
2nd Harold B. Ehrlich* Republican Chairman of Claims
3rd Fred Hammer Democrat
4th Anthony J. Canney* Democrat
5th Edwin L. Kantowski* Democrat
6th Jerome C. Kreinheder Republican
7th Charles O. Burney, Jr. Republican
8th R. Foster Piper* Republican Chairman of Insurance
Essex Thomas A. Leahy* Republican
Franklin John H. Black* Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Denton D. Lake* Republican
Genesee Herbert A. Rapp* Republican Chairman of Motor Vehicles
Greene Paul Fromer* Republican
Herkimer Leo A. Lawrence Republican
Jefferson Russell Wright* Republican
Kings 1st Crawford W. Hawkins* Democrat
2nd Albert D. Schanzer* Democrat
3rd Michael J. Gillen* Democrat
4th Bernard Austin* Democrat
5th Charles R. McConnell* Democrat
6th Jule L. Maisel Democrat
7th William Kirnan* Democrat
8th James V. Mangano* Democrat
9th Edgar F. Moran* Democrat
10th William C. McCreery* Democrat
11th Bernard J. Moran* Democrat
12th Edward S. Moran, Jr.* Democrat
13th Ralph Schwartz* Democrat
14th Rudolph Zimmerman Democrat
15th Edward P. Doyle* Democrat
16th Carmine J. Marasco* Democrat
17th George W. Stewart* Democrat
18th Irwin Steingut* Democrat Minority Leader
19th Max M. Turshen Democrat
20th Roy H. Rudd Democrat
21st Charles H. Breitbart* Democrat
22nd Clement A. Shelton* Democrat
23rd G. Thomas LoRe* Democrat
Lewis Fred A. Young* Republican
Livingston James J. Wadsworth* Republican Chairman of Public Relief and Welfare
Madison Wheeler Milmoe* Republican
Monroe 1st Pritchard H. Strong Republican Chairman of Aviation
2nd Stephen S. Joy Democrat
3rd Earl C. Langenbacher* Democrat
4th Myer Braiman Democrat
5th Walter H. Wickins* Republican
Montgomery L. James Shaver* Republican Chairman of Canals
Nassau 1st Harold P. Herman* Republican Chairman of Mortgage and Real Estate
2nd Leonard W. Hall* Republican Chairman of Re-Apportionment
New York 1st James J. Dooling* Democrat
2nd Nicholas A. Rossi* Democrat
3rd Phelps Phelps Democrat
4th Leonard Farbstein* Democrat
5th John F. Killgrew* Democrat
6th Irving D. Neustein* Democrat
7th Irwin D. Davidson Democrat
8th Stephen J. Jarema* Democrat
9th Ira H. Holley* Democrat
10th Herbert Brownell Jr.* Republican Chairman of Affairs of the City of New York
11th Patrick H. Sullivan* Democrat
12th Edmund J. Delany Democrat
13th William J. Sheldrick* Democrat
14th Francis J. McCaffrey, Jr.* Democrat
15th Abbot Low Moffat* Republican Chairman of Ways and Means
16th William Schwartz* Democrat
17th Meyer Alterman* Democrat
18th Salvatore A. Farenga* Democrat
19th Robert W. Justice* Democrat
20th Michael J. Keenan* Democrat
21st William T. Andrews* Democrat
22nd Daniel Flynn* Democrat
23rd William J. A. Glancy* Democrat
Niagara 1st Fayette E. Pease* Republican Chairman of Conservation
2nd Harry D. Suitor* Republican Chairman of Codes
Oneida 1st Paul B. Mercier* Democrat
2nd William R. Williams* Republican
3rd Fred L. Meiss* Republican
Onondaga 1st Leo W. Breed Republican
2nd George B. Parsons* Republican
3rd Richard B. Smith* Republican Chairman of Affairs of Cities; died on February 26, 1937[4]
Frank J. Costello Republican elected on April 1, to fill vacancy[5]
Ontario Harry R. Marble* Republican
Orange 1st Lee B. Mailler* Republican
2nd Rainey S. Taylor* Republican Chairman of General Laws
Orleans John S. Thompson* Republican Chairman of Public Service
Oswego Ernest J. Lonis* Republican
Otsego Chester T. Backus Republican
Putnam D. Mallory Stephens* Republican Chairman of Banks
Queens 1st Mario J. Cariello* Democrat
2nd George F. Torsney* Democrat
3rd John V. Downey Democrat
4th Daniel E. Fitzpatrick* Democrat
5th Maurice A. FitzGerald* Democrat on November 2, 1937, elected Sheriff of Queens Co.
6th Austin B. Mandel Democrat
Rensselaer 1st Philip J. Casey* Democrat
2nd Maurice Whitney* Republican Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
Richmond 1st Charles Bormann* Democrat
2nd Herman Methfessel* Democrat
Rockland Laurens M. Hamilton* Republican Chairman of Civil Service
St. Lawrence 1st W. Allan Newell* Republican
2nd Warren O. Daniels* Republican
Saratoga William E. Morris* Republican Chairman of Revision
Schenectady 1st Oswald D. Heck* Republican elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules
2nd Harold Armstrong* Republican Chairman of Charitable and Religious Societies
Schoharie Arthur L. Parsons Republican
Schuyler Dutton S. Peterson Republican
Seneca Lawrence W. Van Cleef Republican
Steuben 1st Guy W. Cheney Republican
2nd William M. Stuart Republican
Suffolk 1st Edmund R. Lupton Republican
2nd Elisha T. Barrett Republican
Sullivan Otto Hillig Democrat
Tioga Frank G. Miller* Republican Chairman of Public Printing
Tompkins Stanley C. Shaw Republican
Ulster J. Edward Conway* Republican
Warren Harry A. Reoux* Republican Chairman of Judiciary
Washington Herbert A. Bartholomew* Republican Chairman of Internal Affairs
Wayne Harry L. Averill* Republican Chairman of Public Education
Westchester 1st Herbert R. Smith* Republican Chairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills
2nd Ralph A. Gamble* Republican Chairman of Taxation and Retrenchment;
on November 2, 1937, elected to the 75th U.S. Congress
3rd Hugh A. Lavery* Democrat
4th Jane H. Todd* Republican Chairwoman of Social Welfare
5th Arthur J. Doran Democrat
Wyoming Harold C. Ostertag* Republican Chairman of Affairs of Villages
Yates Fred S. Hollowell* Republican Chairman of Excise

Employees

Notes
  1. Note that the last legislative day of the regular session was May 7, and the New York Red Book gives May 7 as the end of this session. In fact, the adjournment sine die occurred at 8.38 o'clock in the morning of May 8
  2. Feuds in Parties Widen As Session At Albany Closes – Adjournment Is at 8:38 A.M. in The New York Times on May 9, 1937 (subscription required)
  3. Heck is Made Assembly Head in the Cornell Daily Sun on January 13, 1937
  4. Death of an Onondaga Member Deadlocks Parties in Assembly; Loss of R. B. Smith Deprives Republicans of Required 76 Votes for Control in The New York Times on February 27, 1937 (subscription required)
  5. Costello Elected – Republicans Gain Assembly Control in The New York Times on April 2, 1937 (subscription required)

Sources
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