170th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 170th January 1, 1955 December 31, 1956 Lt. Gov. George B. DeLuca (D) Walter J. Mahoney (R) Oswald D. Heck (R) 58 150 Republican (1955: 34–24) (1956: 35–23) Republican (90–60) 1st January 5 April 2, 1955 2nd January 4 March 23, 1956 169th 171st The 170th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5, 1955, to March 23, 1956, during the first and second years of W. Averell Harriman's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1953, 58 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), Queens (five), Bronx (four), Erie (three), Nassau (three), Westchester (three), Monroe (two) and Onondaga (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 Liberal Party, the American Labor Party, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Socialist Labor Party (running under the name of "Industrial Government Party") also nominated tickets. Elections The 1954 New York state election was held on November 2. Ambassador W. Averell Harriman was elected Governor, and D.A. of Bronx County George B. DeLuca was elected Lieutenant Governor, both Democrats with Liberal endorsement. The elections of the other six statewide elective offices resulted in a Democratic State Comptroller with Liberal endorsement, a Republican Attorney General, a Democratic Chief Judge with Liberal and Republican endorsement, a Democratic Court of Appeals judge with Liberal and Republican endorsement, a Democratic Court of Appeals judge with Liberal endorsement, and a Republican Court of Appeals judge with Democratic endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor/Lieutenant Governor, was: Republicans 2,550,000; Democrats 2,297,000; Liberals 264,000; American Labor 47,000; Socialist Workers 2,600; and Industrial Government 1,700. Five of the seven women members of the previous legislature—Assemblywomen Mary A. Gillen (Dem.), of Brooklyn; Janet Hill Gordon (Rep.), a lawyer of Norwich; Frances K. Marlatt (Rep.), a lawyer of Mount Vernon; Genesta M. Strong (Rep.), of Plandome Heights; and Mildred F. Taylor (Rep.), a coal dealer of Lyons—were re-elected. Bessie A. Buchanan (Dem.), a retired musical actress and dancer of Harlem, was also elected to the Assembly. The 1955 New York state election was held on November 8. No statewide elective offices were up for election. Three vacancies in the State Senate and three vacancies in the Assembly were filled. Sessions The Legislature met for the first regular session (the 178th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 5, 1955;STATE G.O.P. BACKS CONTINUED TAX AID IN POLICY PREVIEW; Legislature Opens Today in The New York Times on January 5, 1955 (subscription required) and adjourned on April 2.LEGISLATURE ENDS SESSION in The New York Times on April 3, 1955 (subscription required) Oswald D. Heck (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker. Walter J. Mahoney (Rep.) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate. The Legislature met for the second regular session (the 179th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1956;Legislature Meets Today; Gets Harriman Program in The New York Times on January 4, 1956 (subscription required) and adjourned on March 23.LEGISLATURE ENDS SESSION IN RUSH in The New York Times on March 24, 1956 (subscription required) State Senate Districts 30em 1st District: Suffolk County 2nd, 3rd and 4th District: Parts of Nassau County 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th District: Parts of Queens County, i.e. the Borough of Queens 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn 19th District: Richmond County, i.e. the Borough of Richmond (now the Borough of Staten Island) 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx 30th, 31st and 32nd District: Parts of Westchester County 33rd District: Orange and Rockland counties 34th District: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties 35th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties 36th District: Albany County 37th District: Rensselaer and Washington counties 38th District: Schenectady and Schoharie counties 39th District: Essex, Saratoga and Warren counties 40th District: Clinton, Franklin and St. Lawrence counties 41st District: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Montgomery counties 42nd District: Oneida County 43rd District: Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego 44th and 45th District: Parts of Onondaga County 46th District: Chenango, Cortland, Madison and Otsego counties 47th District: Broome County 48th District: Cayuga, Tioga and Tompkins counties 49th District: Chemung and Steuben counties 50th District: Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties 51st and 52nd District: Parts of Monroe County 53rd District: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties 54th District: Niagara County 55th, 56th and 57th District: Parts of Erie County 58th District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties Senators The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Searles G. Shultz changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblyman Frank J. Pino was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Senator Party Notes1stS. Wentworth Horton* Republican 2ndEdward P. Larkin* Republicanresigned on September 16, 1955, to run for Presiding Supervisor of the Town of HempsteadLARKIN QUITS SENATE FOR A TOWN OFFICE in The New York Times on September 17, 1955 (subscription required)Daniel G. Albert Republicanon November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy3rdWilliam S. Hults Jr.* Republican4thEdward J. Speno Republican5thWalter G. McGahan Republican6thJames J. Crisona Dem./Lib.7thJames G. Sweeney Dem./Lib. 8thFrank D. O'Connor Dem./Lib.on November 8, 1955, elected D.A. of Queens CountyBernard Tompkins Republicanon February 7, 1956, elected to fill vacancyTOMPKINS IS CERTIFIED in The New York Times on February 16, 1956 (subscription required)9thThomas J. Mackell Democrat10thHerbert I. Sorin* Dem./Lib.11thWalter E. Cooke Dem./Lib.12thFred G. Moritt* Dem./Lib.13thThomas J. Cuite* Dem./Lib.14thJohn F. Furey* Dem./Lib. 15thLouis L. Friedman* Dem./Lib.on October 5, 1955, appointed to the NY Supreme CourtSPECIAL KINGS POLLING in The New York Times on October 8, 1955 (subscription required)Frank J. Pino* Dem./Lib.on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy16thWilliam Rosenblatt* Dem./Lib.17thSamuel L. Greenberg* Dem./Lib.18thHarry Gittleson* Dem./Lib.19thEdward V. Curry Democrat20thMacNeil Mitchell* Republican21stJames Lopez Watson Dem./Lib.22ndAlfred E. Santangelo* Dem./Lib.on November 6, 1956, elected to the 85th U.S. Congress23rdJoseph Zaretzki* Dem./Lib.24thJoseph R. Marro* Dem./Lib.25thFrancis J. Mahoney* Dem./Lib.Minority Leader; died on December 23, 1956 26thJohn J. Donovan Jr.* Democratdied on March 12, 1955Harry Kraf Democraton November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy27thJacob H. Gilbert Democrat28thNathaniel T. Helman* Democrat29thFrancis J. McCaffrey* Democrat30thFrank S. McCullough* Republican31stPliny W. Williamson* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary 32ndWilliam F. Condon* Republican33rdThomas C. Desmond* Republican34thArthur H. Wicks* Republican35thErnest I. Hatfield* Republican36thPeter J. Dalessandro* Dem./Lib.37thHenry Neddo* Republican38thThomas F. Campbell* Republican39thGilbert T. Seelye* Republican40thRobert C. McEwen* Republican41stWalter Van Wiggeren* Republican42ndFred J. Rath* Republican43rdHenry A. Wise* Republican44thSearles G. Shultz* Republican45thJohn H. Hughes* Republican46thWheeler Milmoe* Rep./Dem.47thWarren M. Anderson* Republican48thGeorge R. Metcalf* Republican49thHarry K. Morton* Republican50thDutton Peterson* Republican51stFrank E. Van Lare* Republican52ndGeorge T. Manning* Republicandied on December 1, 195653rdAustin W. Erwin* RepublicanChairman of Finance54thEarl W. Brydges* Republican55thWalter J. Mahoney* Republicanre-elected Temporary President56thStanley J. Bauer* Republican57thJohn H. Cooke* Republican58thGeorge H. Pierce* Republican Employees Secretary: William S. King State Assembly Assemblymen Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stEdwin Corning Jr. Dem./Lib.2ndJames J. McGuiness* Dem./Lib. AlleganyWilliam H. MacKenzie* RepublicanChairman of Ways and Means Bronx1stBernard C. McDonnell* Democrat2ndSidney H. Asch* Democrat3rdMorris Mohr* Democratdied on September 21, 19564thFelipe N. Torres* Democrat5thMelville E. Abrams Democrat6thWalter H. Gladwin* Democrat7thJohn T. Satriale* Democrat8thMitchell J. Sherwin* Democrat9thWilliam Kapelman* Democrat10thMatthew R. Dwyer Democrat11thEnzo Gaspari Democrat12thFred W. Eggert Jr. Democrat Broome1stDaniel S. Dickinson Jr. Republican2ndGeorge L. Ingalls* Republican CattaraugusLeo P. Noonan* Republican CayugaCharles A. Cusick* Republican ChautauquaE. Herman Magnuson* Republicandied on July 15, 1955A. Bruce Manley Republicanon November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy ChemungHarry J. Tifft* Republican ChenangoJanet Hill Gordon* Republican ClintonJames A. FitzPatrick* Rep./Dem. ColumbiaWillard C. Drumm* Republican CortlandLouis H. Folmer* Republican DelawareEdwyn E. Mason* Republican DutchessRobert Watson Pomeroy* Republican Erie1stThomas J. Runfola* Republican2ndJustin C. Morgan* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary3rdWilliam J. Butler* Republican4thFrank J. Caffery* Dem./Lib.5thJohn B. Lis* Dem./Lib.6thGeorge F. Dannebrock* Republican7thJulius Volker* Republican8thWilliam Sadler* Republican EssexGrant W. Johnson* Republican FranklinRobert G. Main* Republican Fulton and HamiltonJoseph R. Younglove* Republican GeneseeJohn E. Johnson* Republican GreeneWilliam E. Brady* Republican HerkimerLeo A. Lawrence* Rep./Dem. JeffersonOrin S. Wilcox* Rep./Lib. Kings1stMax M. Turshen* Dem./Lib. 2ndJ. Sidney Levine* Dem./Lib.died on December 22, 1955Samuel Bonom Democraton February 7, 1956, elected to fill vacancyTOMPKINS BEATS DUFFY IN QUEENS; ...Democrats Win in Bronx, Brooklyn Election in The New York Times on February 8, 1956 (subscription required)3rdMary A. Gillen* Dem./Lib.4thBernard Austin* Dem./Lib.5thJohn A. Monteleone* Dem./Lib.6thBertram L. Baker* Dem./Lib.7thLouis Kalish* Dem./Lib.8thFrank Composto* Dem./Lib.9thFrank J. McMullen* Republican10thJohn J. Ryan* Dem./Lib.11thEugene F. Bannigan* Dem./Lib.Minority Leader12thFrank Vaccaro Dem./Lib.13thLawrence P. Murphy* Dem./Lib.14thEdward S. Lentol* Democrat15thAlfred A. Lama* Dem./Lib. 16thFrank J. Pino* Dem./Lib.resigned on October 6, 1955, to run for the State SenateBernard Haber Dem./Lib.on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancyNEW STATE CANDIDATES in The New York Times on October 18, 1955 (subscription required)17thSamuel I. Berman Dem./Lib.18thStanley Steingut* Dem./Lib.19thFrank S. Samansky* Democrat20thJoseph R. Corso* Dem./Lib.21stBertram L. Podell Democrat22ndAnthony J. Travia* Dem./Lib. LewisBenjamin H. Demo* Republican LivingstonJoseph W. Ward* Republican MadisonHarold I. Tyler* Republican Monroe1stJ. Eugene Goddard* Republican2ndA. Gould Hatch* Rep./Lib.3rdPaul B. Hanks Jr.* Rep./Lib.4thThomas F. Riley* Republican MontgomeryDonald A. Campbell* Republican Nassau1stAnthony Barbiero Republican2ndJoseph F. Carlino* RepublicanMajority Leader3rdGenesta M. Strong* Republican4thJohn J. Burns* Republican5thFrancis P. McCloskey Republican6thPalmer D. Farrington Republican New York1stWilliam F. Passannante Dem./Lib.2ndLouis DeSalvio* Democrat 3rdJohn J. Mangan* Dem./Lib.on June 2, 1955, appointed to the Municipal CourtSARAFITE NAMED CITY TREASURER; ...One of 18 Appointments Announced by Mayor in The New York Times on June 3, 1955 (subscription required)John H. Farrell Dem./Lib.on November 8, 1955, elected to fill vacancy; unsuccessfullyFARRELL SEAT UPHELD in The New York Times on February 22, 1956 (subscription required) contested by Peter H. BrennanLEGISLATOR QUESTIONED; Farrell Is Challenged on His Right to Seat in Assembly in The New York Times on January 11, 1956 (subscription required)4thLeonard Farbstein* Democraton November 6, 1956, elected to the 85th U.S. Congress5thLudwig Teller* Dem./Lib.on November 6, 1956, elected to the 85th U.S. Congress6thJoseph J. Weiser Democrat7thDaniel M. Kelly* Dem./Lib.8thArchibald Douglas Jr.* Republican9thJohn R. Brook* Republican10thHerman Katz* Dem./Lib.11thJames C. Thomas* Dem./Lib.12thBessie A. Buchanan Dem./Lib.13thOrest V. Maresca* Dem./Lib.14thKenneth M. Phipps* Dem./Lib.15thWilliam A. Kummer Democrat16thFrank G. Rossetti Dem./Lib. Niagara1stJacob E. Hollinger* Republican2ndErnest Curto* Rep./Lib. Oneida1stFrancis J. Alder* Republican2ndWilliam S. Calli* Republican Onondaga1stLawrence M. Rulison* Republican2ndCharles A. Schoeneck Jr. Republican3rdPhilip R. Chase Republican OntarioRobert M. Quigley* Republican Orange1stD. Clinton Dominick III Republican2ndWilson C. Van Duzer* Republican OrleansAlonzo L. Waters* Republican OswegoHenry D. Coville* Republican OtsegoPaul L. Talbot* Republican PutnamWillis H. Stephens* Republican Queens1stThomas V. LaFauci* Dem./Lib.2ndWilliam C. Brennan Democrat3rdCharles T. Eckstein Republican4thThomas A. Duffy* Dem./Lib.5thWilliam G. Giaccio* Dem./Lib.6thMichael G. Rice Democrat7thBernard Dubin Democrat8thJohn DiLeonardo Republican9thFred W. Preller* Republican10thLouis Wallach Democrat11thDaniel L. Clarke Dem./Lib.12thJ. Lewis Fox* Dem./Lib.13thAnthony P. Savarese Jr.* Republican RensselaerThomas H. Brown* Republican Richmond1stEdward J. Amann Jr.* Rep./Lib.2ndLucio F. Russo* Rep./Lib. RocklandRobert Walmsley* Republican St. LawrenceAllan P. Sill* Republican SaratogaJohn L. Ostrander* Republican SchenectadyOswald D. Heck* Republicanre-elected Speaker SchoharieDavid Enders* Republican SchuylerJerry W. Black* Republican SenecaLawrence W. Van Cleef* Republican SteubenCharles D. Henderson Rep./Dem. Suffolk1stEdmund R. Lupton* Republican2ndElisha T. Barrett* Republican3rdJohn R. Britting Republican SullivanHyman E. Mintz* Rep./Lib. TiogaRichard C. Lounsberry* Republican TompkinsRay S. Ashbery* Republican UlsterKenneth L. Wilson* Republican WarrenStuart F. Hawley* Republican WashingtonWilliam J. Reid* Republican WayneMildred F. Taylor* Republican Westchester1stMalcolm Wilson* Republican2ndFred S. Suthergreen Republican3rdFrances K. Marlatt* Republican4thHunter Meighan* Republican5thWilliam F. Horan* Republican6thTheodore Hill Jr.* Republican WyomingHarold L. Peet* Republican YatesVernon W. Blodgett* Republican Employees Clerk: Ansley B. Borkowski Sergeant-at-Arms: Herbert A. Bartholomew (1955) Raymond J. Roche (1956) Deputy Journal Clerk: Maude E. Ten Eyck Notes Sources Where to Reach Your State Senator Or Assemblyman in Civil Service Leader (January 18, 1955, Vol. XVI, No. 19, pg. 3 and 14) Members of the New York Senate (1950s) at Political Graveyard Members of the New York Assembly (1950s) at Political Graveyard 170 Category:1955 in New York (state) Category:1956 in New York (state) Category:1955 U.S. legislative sessions Category:1956 U.S. legislative sessions