160th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 160th January 1 December 31, 1937 Lt. Gov. M. William Bray (D) John J. Dunnigan (D) Oswald D. Heck (R) 51 150 Democratic (29–22) Republican (76–74) 1st January 6 May 8,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 1937 159th 161st 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. 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 1936 New York state election 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.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) 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.Heck is Made Assembly Head in The Cornell Daily Sun on January 13, 1937 State Senate Districts 30em 1st District: Nassau and Suffolk counties 2nd and 3rd District: Parts of Queens County, i.e. the Borough of Queens 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan 21st, 22nd and 23rd District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx 24th District: Richmond County, i.e. the Borough of Richmond (now the Borough of Staten Island), and Rockland County 25th District: Part of Westchester County 26th District: Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Mount Pleasant, Ossining and part of Yonkers; in Westchester County 27th District: Orange and Sullivan counties 28th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties 29th District: Delaware, Greene and Ulster counties 30th District: Albany County 31st District: Rensselaer County 32nd District: Saratoga and Schenectady counties 33rd District: Clinton, Essex, Warren and Washington counties 34th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties 35th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Lewis counties 36th District: Oneida County 37th District: Jefferson and Oswego counties 38th District: Onondaga County 39th District: Madison, Montgomery, Otsego and Schoharie counties 40th District: Broome, Chenango and Cortland counties 41st District: Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties 42nd District: Cayuga, Seneca and Wayne counties 43rd District: Ontario, Steuben and Yates counties 44th District: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming 45th and 46th District: Monroe County 47th District: Niagara and Orleans counties 48th, 49th and 50th District: Erie County 51st District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties 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 Notes1stGeorge L. Thompson* Republicanre-elected2ndJoseph D. Nunan Jr.* Democratre-elected3rdPeter T. Farrell* Democrat4thPhilip M. Kleinfeld* Democratre-elected5thJohn J. Howard* Democratre-elected6thEdward J. Coughlin* Democratre-elected7thJacob J. Schwartzwald* Democratre-elected8thJoseph A. Esquirol* Democratre-elected9thJacob H. Livingston* Democratre-elected10thJeremiah F. Twomey* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Finance11thJames J. Crawford* Democratre-elected12thElmer F. Quinn* Democratre-elected13thThomas F. Burchill* Democratre-elected14thWilliam J. Murray Democrat15thJohn L. Buckley* Democratre-elected16thJohn J. McNaboe* Democratre-elected17thLeon A. Fischel Democrat18thJohn T. McCall* Democratre-elected19thDuncan T. O'Brien* Democratre-elected20thA. Spencer Feld* Democratre-elected21stLazarus Joseph* Democratre-elected22ndJulius S. Berg* Democratre-elected23rdJohn J. Dunnigan* Democratre-elected; re-elected Temporary President24thRae L. Egbert* Democratre-elected25thPliny W. Williamson* Republicanre-elected26thJames A. Garrity* Dem./Am. L.re-elected27thThomas C. Desmond* Republicanre-elected28thFrederic H. Bontecou* Republicanre-elected29thArthur H. Wicks* Republicanre-elected30thErastus Corning 2nd* Democrat31stClifford C. Hastings Republican32ndEdwin E. Miller* Republicanre-elected33rdBenjamin F. Feinberg* Republicanre-elected34thRhoda Fox Graves* Republicanre-elected35thHarry F. Dunkel* Republicanre-elected36thWilliam H. Hampton* Republicanre-elected37thPerley A. Pitcher* Republicanre-elected; Minority Leader38thFrancis L. McElroy Dem./Am. L.39thWalter W. Stokes* Republicanre-elected40thRoy M. Page Republican41stC. Tracey Stagg* Republicanre-elected42ndCharles J. Hewitt* Republicanre-elected43rdEarle S. Warner* Republicanre-elected44thJoe R. Hanley* Republicanre-elected45thEmmett L. Doyle Dem./Am. L.46thGeorge F. Rogers Dem./Am. L.47thWilliam H. Lee* Republicanre-elected48thWalter J. Mahoney Republican49thStephen J. Wojtkowiak* Dem./Am. L.re-elected50thNelson W. Cheney* Republicanre-elected51stLeigh G. Kirkland* Republicanre-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 Albany1stGeorge W. Foy Democrat2ndJohn P. Hayes* Democrat3rdJohn McBain Rep./Union AlleganyWilliam H. MacKenzie* Republican Bronx1stMatthew J. H. McLaughlin* Democrat2ndDoris I. Byrne* Democratresigned on May 8 and appointed Deputy Secretary of State3rdCarl Pack* Democrat4thIsidore Dollinger Democrat5thJulius J. Gans* Democrat6thPeter A. Quinn* Democrat7thBernard R. Fleisher* Democrat8thJohn A. Devany Jr.* Democrat Broome1stEdward F. Vincent* RepublicanChairman of Public Institutions2ndJames E. Hill* Republican CattaraugusJames W. Riley* RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs CayugaAndrew D. Burgdorf* RepublicanChairman of Penal Institutions Chautauqua1stLloyd J. Babcock* RepublicanChairman of Pensions2ndCarl E. Darling* Republican ChemungChauncey B. Hammond* Republican ChenangoIrving M. Ives* RepublicanMajority Leader ClintonEmmett J. Roach Democrat ColumbiaFrederick A. Washburn* RepublicanChairman of Labor and Industries CortlandJohn B. Briggs Republican DelawareE. Ogden Bush* RepublicanChairman of Public Health Dutchess1stHoward N. Allen* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture2ndEmerson D. Fite* Republican Erie1stFrank A. Gugino* Republican2ndHarold B. Ehrlich* RepublicanChairman of Claims3rdFred Hammer Democrat4thAnthony J. Canney* Democrat5thEdwin L. Kantowski* Democrat6thJerome C. Kreinheder Republican7thCharles O. Burney Jr. Republican8thR. Foster Piper* RepublicanChairman of Insurance EssexThomas A. Leahy* Republican FranklinJohn H. Black* Republican Fulton and HamiltonDenton D. Lake* Republican GeneseeHerbert A. Rapp* RepublicanChairman of Motor Vehicles GreenePaul Fromer* Republican HerkimerLeo A. Lawrence Republican JeffersonRussell Wright* Republican Kings1stCrawford W. Hawkins* Democrat2ndAlbert D. Schanzer* Democrat3rdMichael J. Gillen* Democrat4thBernard Austin* Democrat5thCharles R. McConnell* Democrat6thJule L. Maisel Democrat7thWilliam Kirnan* Democrat8thJames V. Mangano* Democrat9thEdgar F. Moran* Democrat10thWilliam C. McCreery* Democrat11thBernard J. Moran* Democrat12thEdward S. Moran Jr.* Democrat13thRalph Schwartz* Democrat14thRudolph Zimmerman Democrat15thEdward P. Doyle* Democrat16thCarmine J. Marasco* Democrat17thGeorge W. Stewart* Democrat18thIrwin Steingut* DemocratMinority Leader19thMax M. Turshen Democrat20thRoy H. Rudd Democrat21stCharles H. Breitbart* Democrat22ndClement A. Shelton* Democrat23rdG. Thomas LoRe* Democrat LewisFred A. Young* Republican LivingstonJames J. Wadsworth* RepublicanChairman of Public Relief and Welfare MadisonWheeler Milmoe* Republican Monroe1stPritchard H. Strong RepublicanChairman of Aviation2ndStephen S. Joy Democrat3rdEarl C. Langenbacher* Democrat4thMyer Braiman Democrat5thWalter H. Wickins* Republican MontgomeryL. James Shaver* RepublicanChairman of Canals Nassau1stHarold P. Herman* RepublicanChairman of Mortgage and Real Estate2ndLeonard W. Hall* RepublicanChairman of Re-Apportionment New York1stJames J. Dooling* Democrat2ndNicholas A. Rossi* Democrat3rdPhelps Phelps Democrat4thLeonard Farbstein* Democrat5thJohn F. Killgrew* Democrat6thIrving D. Neustein* Democrat7thIrwin D. Davidson Democrat8thStephen J. Jarema* Democrat9thIra H. Holley* Democrat10thHerbert Brownell Jr.* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of the City of New York11thPatrick H. Sullivan* Democrat12thEdmund J. Delany Democrat13thWilliam J. Sheldrick* Democrat14thFrancis J. McCaffrey Jr.* Democrat15thAbbot Low Moffat* RepublicanChairman of Ways and Means16thWilliam Schwartz* Democrat17thMeyer Alterman* Democrat18thSalvatore A. Farenga* Democrat19thRobert W. Justice* Democrat20thMichael J. Keenan* Democrat21stWilliam T. Andrews* Democrat22ndDaniel Flynn* Democrat23rdWilliam J. A. Glancy* Democrat Niagara1stFayette E. Pease* RepublicanChairman of Conservation2ndHarry D. Suitor* RepublicanChairman of Codes Oneida1stPaul B. Mercier* Democrat2ndWilliam R. Williams* Republican3rdFred L. Meiss* Republican Onondaga1stLeo W. Breed Republican2ndGeorge B. Parsons* Republican 3rdRichard B. Smith* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities; died on February 26, 1937Death 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)Frank J. Costello Republicanelected on April 1, to fill vacancyCostello Elected – Republicans Gain Assembly Control in The New York Times on April 2, 1937 (subscription required) OntarioHarry R. Marble* Republican Orange1stLee B. Mailler* Republican2ndRainey S. Taylor* RepublicanChairman of General Laws OrleansJohn S. Thompson* RepublicanChairman of Public Service OswegoErnest J. Lonis* Republican OtsegoChester T. Backus Republican PutnamD. Mallory Stephens* RepublicanChairman of Banks Queens1stMario J. Cariello* Democrat2ndGeorge F. Torsney* Democrat3rdJohn V. Downey Democrat4thDaniel E. Fitzpatrick* Democrat5thMaurice A. FitzGerald* Democraton November 2, 1937, elected Sheriff of Queens Co.6thAustin B. Mandel Democrat Rensselaer1stPhilip J. Casey* Democrat2ndMaurice Whitney* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation Richmond1stCharles Bormann* Democrat2ndHerman Methfessel* Democrat RocklandLaurens M. Hamilton* RepublicanChairman of Civil Service St. Lawrence1stW. Allan Newell* Republican2ndWarren O. Daniels* Republican SaratogaWilliam E. Morris* RepublicanChairman of Revision Schenectady1stOswald D. Heck* Republicanelected Speaker; Chairman of Rules2ndHarold Armstrong* RepublicanChairman of Charitable and Religious Societies SchoharieArthur L. Parsons Republican SchuylerDutton Peterson Republican SenecaLawrence W. Van Cleef Republican Steuben1stGuy W. Cheney Republican2ndWilliam M. Stuart Republican Suffolk1stEdmund R. Lupton Republican2ndElisha T. Barrett Republican SullivanOtto Hillig Democrat TiogaFrank G. Miller* RepublicanChairman of Public Printing TompkinsStanley C. Shaw Republican UlsterJ. Edward Conway* Republican WarrenHarry A. Reoux* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary WashingtonHerbert A. Bartholomew* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs WayneHarry L. Averill* RepublicanChairman of Public Education Westchester1stHerbert R. Smith* RepublicanChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills2ndRalph A. Gamble* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment; on November 2, 1937, elected to the 75th U.S. Congress3rdHugh A. Lavery* Democrat4thJane H. Todd* RepublicanChairwoman of Social Welfare5thArthur J. Doran Democrat WyomingHarold C. Ostertag* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages YatesFred S. Hollowell* RepublicanChairman of Excise Employees Clerk: Ansley B. Borkowski Notes Sources Members of Legislature—1937 in The State Employee (January 1937, Vol. 6, No. 1, pg. 11, 12 and 15) Members of the New York Senate (1930s) at Political Graveyard Members of the New York Assembly (1930s) at Political Graveyard Republican Bolters Suffer No Reprisals at Hands of Speaker in The Niagara Falls Gazette, of Niagara Falls, on January 19, 1937 160 Category:1937 in New York (state) Category:1937 U.S. legislative sessions