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William O'Dwyer

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William O'Dwyer
O'Dwyer in 1945
O'Dwyer in 1945
United States Ambassador to Mexico
In office
November 23, 1950 – December 6, 1952
President Harry S. Truman
Preceded by Walter C. Thurston
Succeeded by Francis White
101st Mayor of New York City
In office
January 1, 1946 – August 31, 1950
Preceded by Fiorello H. La Guardia
Succeeded by Vincent R. Impellitteri
Kings County District Attorney
In office
January 1, 1940 – August 1, 1945
Preceded by William F.X. Geoghan
Succeeded by George J. Beldock
Personal details
Born July 11, 1890
Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland
Died November 24, 1964 (aged 74)
New York City, U.S.
Party Democratic
Spouses Catherine Lenihan
(m. 1916; died 1946)
Sloan Simpson
(m. 1949; div. 1953)
Relations Paul O'Dwyer (brother)
Brian O'Dwyer (nephew)
Frank Durkan (nephew)
Alma mater Fordham University Law School
Profession Attorney
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service 1942–1945
Rank Brigadier General
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Legion of Merit

William O'Dwyer (July 11, 1890 – November 24, 1964) was an Irish-American attorney and Democratic Party politician who served as the 101st Mayor of New York City from 1946 to 1950, when he resigned under the cloud of multiple investigations into corruption in the New York City Police Department. He also served as Brooklyn District Attorney from 1940 to 1945 and United States Ambassador to Mexico from 1950 to 1952.

Early life

O'Dwyer was born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland and studied at St. Nathys College, Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon. In 1907, O'Dwyer began to study for the priesthood at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, a Jesuit seminary in Spain,[1] where he became fluent in Spanish.[2] He later decided not to join the clergy, and emigrated to the United States in 1910.[1] He sailed to New York as a steerage passenger on board the liner Philadelphia and was inspected at Ellis Island on June 27, 1910.

O'Dwyer first worked as a laborer, then as a New York City police officer, while studying law at night at Fordham University Law School. He received his degree in 1923 and then built up a successful practice before serving as a Kings County (Brooklyn) Court judge. He won election as the Kings County District Attorney in November 1939[3] and his prosecution of the organized crime syndicate known as Murder, Inc. made him a national celebrity.

After losing the mayoral election to Fiorello La Guardia in 1941, O'Dwyer joined the United States Army for World War II, achieving the rank of brigadier general as a member of the Allied Commission for Italy and executive director of the War Refugee Board, for which he received the Legion of Merit.[4] During that time, he was on leave from his elected position as district attorney and replaced by his chief assistant, Thomas Cradock Hughes, and was re-elected in November 1943.

Mayor of New York City

In 1945, O'Dwyer received the support of Tammany Hall leader Edward V. Loughlin, won the Democratic nomination, and then easily won the mayoral election. At his inauguration, O'Dwyer celebrated to the song, "It's a Great Day for the Irish", and addressed the 700 people gathered in Council Chambers at City Hall: "It is our high purpose to devote our whole time, our whole energy to do good work...." He established the Office of City Construction Coordinator, appointing Park Commissioner Robert Moses to the post, worked to have the permanent home of the United Nations located in Manhattan, presided over the first billion-dollar New York City budget, created a traffic department and raised the subway fare from five cents to ten cents. In 1948, O'Dwyer received The Hundred Year Association of New York's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York." In 1948, he received the epithets "Whirling Willie" and "Flip-Flop Willie" from U.S. Representative Vito Marcantonio of the opposition American Labor Party while the latter was campaigning for Henry A. Wallace.[5]

Shortly after his re-election to the mayoralty in 1949, O'Dwyer was confronted with a police corruption scandal uncovered by the Kings County District Attorney, Miles McDonald. O'Dwyer resigned from office on August 31, 1950. Upon his resignation, he was given a ticker tape parade up Broadway's Canyon of Heroes in the borough of Manhattan. President Harry Truman appointed him U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. He returned to New York City in 1951 to answer questions concerning his association with organized crime figures and the accusations followed him for the rest of his life. He resigned as ambassador on December 6, 1952, but remained in Mexico until 1960.[6]

He helped organize the first Israel Day Parade,[7] along with New York's Jewish community.

Death

O'Dwyer died in New York City on November 24, 1964, in Beth Israel Hospital, aged 74, from heart failure.[8][9] His funeral mass was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral on November 27,[10] and he was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2, Grave 889-A-RH.[11]

Family

In 1916, O'Dwyer married Catherine Lenihan, whom he met while he was working as a bartender at the Vanderbilt Hotel[12] and she was employed as one of the Vanderbilt's telephone switchboard operators.[1] They had no children, and she was in ill health for many years before her death in 1946.[13] Her funeral was originally planned for St. Joseph's Church in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan, where she and her husband were members.[14] The large number of attendees resulted in a move to St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the service was presided over by Cardinal Francis Spellman.[14]

On December 20, 1949, O'Dwyer married Elizabeth Sloan Simpson at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Stuart, Florida.[15] They divorced in 1953,[16] but remained close, and Simpson attended O'Dwyer's funeral in 1964.[17]

His brother Paul O'Dwyer served as President of the City Council from 1973 to 1977, and his nephew Brian O'Dwyer was appointed chair of the New York State Gaming Commission in 2022.

See also

  • List of mayors of New York City
  • New York City tugboat strike of 1946

References

  1. Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Devine, Thomas W. (2019). Biography: O'Dwyer, William (11 July 1890–24 November 1964). American National Biography. New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0700221. ISBN 978-0-19-860669-7. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  2. Back to citation Lehman, Herbert H. (September 18, 1950). Congressional Record:U.S. Senate; Nomination of William O'Dwyer to be U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (PDF). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 14998.
  3. Back to citation Hagerty, James A. (November 8, 1939). "Goldstein Winner – Schurman and Other La Guardia Choices Trail in Returns –O'Dwyer New Prosecutor – Organization Elects 9 Supreme Court Justices – Council Vote Count Begins Today". New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  4. Back to citation Ralph J. Caliendo, New York City Mayors: Part II: the Mayors of Greater New York From 1898, 2010, p. 90
  5. Back to citation Hagerty, James A. (September 11, 1948). "48,000 Hear Wallace Assert Prejudice Will Fail in South". New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  6. Back to citation "William O'Dwyer, 100th Mayor, 1946–1950 (1890–1964)". City of New York. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  7. Back to citation Jewish Telegraphic Agency, "150,000 Cheer Jewish State at New York Celebration of Israeli Independence Day", republished on Jewish News Archive, original story May 5, 1949 Archived August 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Back to citation The remarkable History of the O'Dwyer Family Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Back to citation "William O'Dwyer profile". The New York Times. November 25, 1964. p. 36. Retrieved March 17, 2010.(subscription required)
  10. Back to citation "Death Notices: William O'Dwyer". Daily News. New York, NY. November 26, 1964. p. 72 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Back to citation "Burial Information, William O'Dwyer". Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington, VA: Headquarters, Department of the Army. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  12. Back to citation DeStefano, Anthony M. (2018). Top Hoodlum: Frank Costello, Prime Minister of the Mafia. New York, NY: Citadel Press. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-8065-3871-6.
  13. Back to citation "President, Leaders Send Condolences to O'Dwyer". Brooklyn Eagle. Brooklyn, NY. October 14, 1946. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Back to citation occurrence 14.0 Back to citation occurrence 14.1 "Obituary, Mrs. William O'Dwyer". Daily News. New York, NY. October 14, 1946. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Back to citation "Sky Arched by Rainbow as Couple Takes Vows". Star-Gazette. Elmira, NY. Associated Press. December 20, 1949. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Back to citation Valery, Bernard (June 7, 1953). "A Toreador in Her Life? Lot of Bull, Says Sloan". Daily News. New York, NY. pp. 3, 90–91 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Back to citation "Sloan Here for Funeral". Daily News. New York, NY. November 25, 1964. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.

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