163rd New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 163rd January 1, 1941 December 31, 1942 Lt. Gov. Charles Poletti (D) Joe R. Hanley (R) Oswald D. Heck (R) 51 150 Republican (30–21) Republican (87–62–1) 1st January 8 April 4, 1941 2nd January 7 April 24, 1942 162nd 164th The 163rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 8, 1941, to April 24, 1942, during the ninth and tenth years of Herbert H. Lehman's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, and amended in 1937, 51 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 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 American Labor Party endorsed the whole Democratic ticket, which included one Republican judge of the Court of Appeals. The Prohibition Party also nominated a ticket. Elections The 1940 New York state election was held on November 5. All six statewide elective offices were carried by the nominees on the Democratic-American Labor fusion ticket. The approximate party strength at this election, as gathered from the results, was: Democrats 2,843,000; Republicans 2,837,000; American Labor 365,000; and Prohibition 5,000. All three women legislators—State Senator Rhoda Fox Graves (Rep.), of Gouverneur; and Assemblywomen Jane H. Todd (Rep.), of Tarrytown, and Edith C. Cheney (Rep.), of Corning—were re-elected. The 1941 New York state election was held on November 4. Two vacancies in the State Senate and two vacancies in the State Assembly were filled. On March 10, 1942, Mary A. Gillen, the widow of Assemblyman Michael J. Gillen, was elected to the seat previously held by her husband. Sessions The Legislature met for the first regular session (the 164th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 8, 1941;LEHMAN DEMANDS FULLEST STATE AID IN "TOTAL DEFENSE" in The New York Times on January 9, 1941 (subscription required) and adjourned at 2.30 a.m. on April 4.LEGISLATURE ENDS SESSION AT ALBANY in The New York Times on April 4, 1941 (subscription required) Oswald D. Heck (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker. Joe R. Hanley (Rep.) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate. On December 7, 1941, happened the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered World War II. Subsequently, some legislators resigned their seats to join the armed forces, among them Robert F. Wagner Jr., Phelps Phelps, Francis E. Dorn and Henry J. Latham. The Legislature met for the second regular session (the 165th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1942;LEHMAN PLEDGES STATE TAX SLASH, ASKS PRICE LIMITS in The New York Times on January 8, 1942 (subscription required) and adjourned on April 24. 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. Francis J. McCaffrey Jr and Charles O. Burney Jr changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblymen Carmine J. Marasco and William Kirnan were elected to fill vacancies in the Senate. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Senator Party Notes 1stGeorge L. Thompson* RepublicanChairman of Finance; died on September 1, 1941Perry B. Duryea Sr. Republicanon November 4, 1941, elected to fill vacancy2ndSeymour Halpern Republican3rdPeter T. Farrell* Democrat 4thPhilip M. Kleinfeld* Democraton January 13, 1941, appointed to the NY Supreme CourtCarmine J. Marasco Democraton February 18, 1941, elected to fill vacancyC. J. MARASCO WINS STATE SENATE SEAT in The New York Times on February 19, 1941 (subscription required) 5thJohn J. Howard* Democratdied on January 24, 1941William Kirnan Democraton March 11, 1941, elected to fill vacancy6thEdward J. Coughlin* Democrat7thJacob J. Schwartzwald* Democraton September 9, 1942, appointed to the NYC City Court8thJoseph A. Esquirol* Democrat9thDaniel Gutman* Democrat10thJeremiah F. Twomey* Democrat11thJames J. Crawford* Democrat12thElmer F. Quinn* Democrat13thPhelps Phelps* Democraton February 16, 1942, gave notice of his return to active duty in the U.S. ArmyPHELPS PHELPS GOES TO ACTIVE ARMY DUTY in The New York Times on February 17, 1942 (subscription required)14thWilliam J. Murray* Democrat15thJohn L. Buckley* Democrat 16thFrancis J. McCaffrey Jr.* Democraton November 4, 1941, elected to the NYC Municipal CourtThomas G. Brennan Democraton January 13, 1942, elected to fill vacancy;NAMED STATE SENATOR in The New York Times on January 14, 1942 (subscription required) and took his seat on January 26Brennan Seated in Senate in The New York Times on January 27, 1942 (subscription required)17thFrederic R. Coudert Jr.* Republican18thCharles Muzzicato Rep./Am. LaborChairman of Public Health19thCharles D. Perry* Democrat20thAlexander A. Falk Democrat21stLazarus Joseph* Democrat22ndCarl Pack* Democrat23rdJohn J. Dunnigan* DemocratMinority Leader24thRobert E. Johnson Republican25thPliny W. Williamson* Republican26thWilliam F. Condon* Republican27thThomas C. Desmond* Republican28thAllan A. Ryan Jr.* Republican29thArthur H. Wicks* RepublicanChairman of Civil Service; Chairman of Finance, from September 17, 1941Wicks Heads Finance Committee in The New York Times on September 18, 1941 (subscription required) 30thErastus Corning 2nd* Democratresigned on August 1, 1941, to run for Mayor of AlbanyJulian B. Erway Democraton November 4, 1941, elected to fill vacancy31stClifford C. Hastings* RepublicanChairman of Civil Service, from January 7, 1942HASTINGS MADE CHAIRMAN in The New York Times on January 8, 1942 (subscription required)32ndGilbert T. Seelye* Republican33rdBenjamin F. Feinberg* Republican34thRhoda Fox Graves* Republican35thFred A. Young* Republican36thWilliam H. Hampton* Republican37thIsaac B. Mitchell* Republican38thG. Frank Wallace Republican39thWalter W. Stokes* Rep./Am. Labor40thRoy M. Page* Republican41stChauncey B. Hammond* Republican42ndHenry W. Griffith* Republican43rdEarle S. Warner* Republican44thJoe R. Hanley* Republicanre-elected Temporary President45thRodney B. Janes* Republican46thKarl K. Bechtold* Republicanresigned in April 1942, and joined the USNRBechtold—Fowler in The New York Times on August 30, 1942 (subscription required)47thWilliam Bewley* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment48thWalter J. Mahoney* Republican49thStephen J. Wojtkowiak* Dem./Am. Labor50thCharles O. Burney Jr.* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages51stJames W. Riley* Republican Employees Clerk: William S. King Assistant Clerk: Fred J. Slater Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold W. Cole Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Henry Whitbeck Principal Doorkeeper: Lynn Corman Assistant Doorkeeper: Irving Hoag Stenographer: John K. Marshall State Assembly Assemblymen Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stGeorge W. Foy* Democrat2ndMortimer A. Cullen Democrat3rdJohn McBain* Rep./Am. Labor AlleganyWilliam H. MacKenzie* Republican Bronx1stMatthew J. H. McLaughlin* Democrat2ndPatrick J. Fogarty* Democrat3rdArthur Wachtel* Democrat4thIsidore Dollinger* Democrat5thJulius J. Gans* Democrat6thPeter A. Quinn* Democrat7thLouis Bennett* Democrat8thJohn A. Devany Jr.* Democrat Broome1stFloyd E. Anderson Republican2ndOrlo M. Brees Republican CattaraugusLeo P. Noonan Republican CayugaJames H. Chase* Republican Chautauqua1stE. Herman Magnuson Rep./Am. Labor2ndCarl E. Darling* Republican ChemungHarry J. Tifft* Republican ChenangoIrving M. Ives* RepublicanMajority Leader ClintonLeslie G. Ryan* Republican ColumbiaFrederick A. Washburn* Republican CortlandHarold L. Creal* Republican DelawareWilliam T. A. Webb* Republican Dutchess1stHoward N. Allen* Republican2ndEmerson D. Fite* Republican Erie1stFrank A. Gugino* Republican2ndHarold B. Ehrlich* Republican3rdFred Hammer Dem./Am. Labor4thFrank J. Caffery Dem./Am. Laborresigned on November 16, 1942, and went to warAssemblyman Caffery Enlists in The New York Times on November 17, 1942 (subscription required)5thPhilip V. Baczkowski Dem./Am. Labor6thJerome C. Kreinheder* Republican7thJustin C. Morgan Republican8thJohn R. Pillion Republican EssexSheldon F. Wickes* Republican FranklinWilliam L. Doige* Republican Fulton and Hamilton(Denton D. Lake)* Republicandied on January 5, 1941, before the Legislature metJoseph R. Younglove Republicanon February 18, 1941, elected to fill vacancy GeneseeHerbert A. Rapp* Republican GreeneWilliam E. Brady* Republican HerkimerLeo A. Lawrence* Republican JeffersonRussell Wright* Republican Kings1stLewis W. Olliffe Republican2ndLeo F. Rayfiel* Democrat 3rdMichael J. Gillen* Democratdied on February 1, 1942Mary A. Gillen Dem./Rep.on March 10, 1942, elected to fill vacancy4thBernard Austin* Democrat5thJohn R. Starkey Dem./Am. Labor6thRobert J. Crews* Rep./Am. Labor 7thWilliam Kirnan* Democratresigned on January 31, 1941, to run for the State SenateJohn F. Furey Democraton March 11, 1941, elected to fill vacancy8thCharles J. Beckinella* Democrat9thEdgar F. Moran* Democrat10thFrancis E. Dorn Republicanresigned on April 1, 1942, and went to warDORN LEAVES ASSEMBLY in The New York Times on April 2, 1942 (subscription required)11thEugene F. Bannigan Democrat12thJames W. Feely* Democrat13thRalph Schwartz* Dem./Am. Labor14thHarry Gittleson Dem./Am. Labor15thJohn Smolenski* Dem./Am. Labor 16thCarmine J. Marasco* Democratresigned on January 14, 1941, to run for the State SenateSEEKS KLEINFELD'S SEAT in The New York Times on January 15, 1941 (subscription required)Louis L. Friedman Democraton February 18, 1941, elected to fill vacancy17thFred G. Moritt* Dem./Am. Labor18thIrwin Steingut* Dem./Am. LaborMinority Leader19thMax M. Turshen* Democrat20thRoy H. Rudd* Democrat21stThomas A. Dwyer* Democrat22ndJames A. Corcoran* Democrat23rdRobert Giordano* Democrat LewisBenjamin H. Demo Republican LivingstonJames J. Wadsworth* Republicanresigned on May 27, 1941WADSWORTH QUITS SEAT IN ASSEMBLY in The New York Times on May 28, 1941 (subscription required)Joseph W. Ward Republicanon November 4, 1941, elected to fill vacancy MadisonWheeler Milmoe* Republican Monroe1stFrank J. Sellmayer Jr.* Republican2ndAbraham Schulman* Republican3rdGeorge T. Manning* Republican4thNelson E. Owen Jr. Democrat5thWilliam B. Mann* Republican MontgomeryJohn F. Bennison Republican Nassau1stJohn D. Bennett* Republican2ndNorman F. Penny* Republican New York1stJames J. Dooling* Democrat2ndLouis DeSalvio Democrat3rdMaurice E. Downing* Democrat4thLeonard Farbstein* Democrat5thOwen McGivern* Democrat6thMorris M. Mintz Democrat7thIrwin D. Davidson* Democrat8thStephen J. Jarema* Democrat9thIra H. Holley* Democrat10thMacNeil Mitchell* Republican11thPatrick H. Sullivan* Democrat12thEdmund J. Delany* Democrat13thJames T. McNamara Democrat14thWarren J. McCarron Democrat15thAbbot Low Moffat* RepublicanChairman of Ways and Means 16thRobert F. Wagner Jr.* Dem./Am. Laborresigned on January 13, 1942, and went to warJohn P. Morrissey Dem./Am. Laboron March 10, 1942, elected to fill vacancyASSEMBLY POST WON BY TAMMANY LEADER in The New York Times on March 11, 1942 (subscription required)17thHulan E. Jack Democrat18thHamlet O. Catenaccio Rep./Am. Labor19thDaniel L. Burrows* Democrat20thAnthony Guida* Democrat21stWilliam T. Andrews* Democrat22ndDaniel Flynn* Democrat23rdWilliam J. A. Glancy* Democrat Niagara1stJacob E. Hollinger Republican2ndHarry D. Suitor* Republican Oneida1stFrank A. Emma Democrat2ndWilliam R. Williams* Republican3rdC. Dean Williams* Republican Onondaga1stLeo W. Breed* Republican2ndGeorge B. Parsons* Republican3rdFrank J. Costello* Republican OntarioHarry R. Marble* Republican Orange1stLee B. Mailler* Republican2ndCharles N. Hammond* Republican OrleansJohn S. Thompson* Republican OswegoErnest J. Lonis* Republican OtsegoChester T. Backus* Republican PutnamD. Mallory Stephens* Republican Queens 1stMario J. Cariello* Democratresigned on September 25, 1941, to run for Municipal CourtCharles J. Dalzell Democraton November 4, 1941, elected to fill vacancy2ndGeorge F. Torsney Democratdied on December 28, 19423rdJohn V. Downey* Democrat4thHenry J. Latham Republicanin July 1942, joined the U.S. NavyNavy Takes Candidate of Queens Republicans in The New York Times on July 14, 1942 (subscription required)5thJohn H. Ferril* Democrat6thGeorge Archinal Republican Rensselaer1stJ. Eugene Zimmer Am. Labor/Rep.2ndMaurice Whitney* RepublicanChairman of Taxation Richmond1stCharles Bormann* Democrat2ndAlbert V. Maniscalco* Democrat RocklandRobert Doscher Republican St. Lawrence1stGrant F. Daniels* Republican2ndAllan P. Sill Republican SaratogaRichard J. Sherman* Republican Schenectady1stOswald D. Heck* Republicanre-elected Speaker2ndHarold Armstrong* Republican SchoharieArthur L. Parsons* Republican SchuylerDutton Peterson* Republican SenecaLawrence W. Van Cleef* Republican Steuben1stEdith C. Cheney* Republican2ndWilliam M. Stuart* Republican Suffolk1stEdmund R. Lupton* Republican2ndElisha T. Barrett* Republican SullivanJames G. Lyons* Democrat TiogaMyron D. Albro* Republican TompkinsStanley C. Shaw* Republican UlsterJohn F. Wadlin Republican WarrenHarry A. Reoux* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary WashingtonHenry Neddo Republican WayneHenry V. Wilson Republicanpreviously a member from Ontario Co. Westchester1stChristopher H. Lawrence* Republican2ndTheodore Hill Jr.* Republican3rdJames E. Owens* Republican4thJane H. Todd* Republican5thMalcolm Wilson* Republican WyomingHarold C. Ostertag* Republican YatesFred S. Hollowell* Republican Employees Clerk: Ansley B. Borkowski Sergeant-at-Arms: Richard Schnor First Assistant Doorkeeper: Joseph G. Bates Second Assistant Doorkeeper: M. C. Mansolillo Stenographer: Walter F. Berry Notes Sources Your Representatives in the Legislature and in Congress; Legislature for 1941–1942 in The State Employee (November 1940, Vol. 9, No. 8, pg. 264f) Members of the New York Senate (1940s) at Political Graveyard Members of the New York Assembly (1940s) at Political Graveyard GOP LEGISLATORS RETAIN LEADERS in the Daily Sentinel, of Rome, on January 8, 1941 163 State Legislature State Legislature New York State Legislature New York State Legislature