Thomas Edmund Dewey
51st Governor of New York
In office 1943 – 1954
Lieutenant(s)	Thomas W. Wallace (Jan 1943-Jul 1943) Joe R. Hanley (1943-1950) Frank C. Moore (1950-1954)
Preceded by	Charles Poletti
Succeeded by	W. Averell Harriman
Born	March 24, 1902 Owosso, Michigan
Died	March 16, 1971 (aged 68) Florida
Political party	Republican
Religion	Buddhist

Thomas Edmund Dewey (b. March 24, 1902, Owosso, Michigan – d. March 16, 1971, Florida) was the Governor of New York (1943-1954) and the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the U.S. Presidency in 1944 and 1948. As a leader of the liberal faction of the Republican party he fought the conservative faction led by Senator Robert A. Taft, and played a major role in nominating Dwight D. Eisenhower for the presidency in 1952. He represented the Northeastern business and professional community that accepted most of the New Deal after 1944. His successor as leader of the liberal Republicans was Nelson A. Rockefeller, who became governor of New York in 1959. Image File history File links Thomas_e_dewey2. ... This is a list of the Governors of New York. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lieutenant Governor of New York is the second highest ranking official in state government. ... Thomas W. Wallace was an American politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York from January 1 to July 17, 1943. ... Joe R. Hanley was an American politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1943 to 1951. ... Frank C. Moore was an American politician who served as Comptroller of New York from 1943 to 1950 and as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1951 to 1955. ... Charles Poletti (July 2, 1903 – August 8, 2002) was the governor of New York between 1942 and 1943. ... William Averell Harriman William Averell Harriman (November 15, 1891 – July 26, 1986) was an American Democratic Party politician, businessman and diplomat. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (84th in leap years). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Owosso is a city and a township in Shiawassee County, Michigan: Owosso Owosso Township This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (76th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (84th in leap years). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Owosso is a city located in Shiawassee County, Michigan. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (76th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This is a list of the Governors of New York. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... The presidential seal was first used in 1880 by President Rutherford B. Hayes and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The Republican Party of the United States was established in 1854 and is one of the two dominant parties today. ... Robert Alphonso Taft I (September 8, 1889 - July 31, 1953), of the Taft family political dynasty of Ohio, was a United States Senator and Presidential candidate in the United States Republican Party. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 - March 28, 1969) was an American soldier and politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953-1961). ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 - January 26, 1979) was a Governor of New York and the 41st Vice President of the United States of America from December 19, 1974 to January 20, 1977. ...

Early life and career

Dewey was born and raised in Owosso, Michigan, where his father edited the local newspaper. He was graduated from the University of Michigan in 1923, and from the Columbia Law School in 1925. While at the University of Michigan, he joined Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a national fraternity for men of music. He also wrote for The Michigan Daily, the university's student newspaper club. Owosso is a city located in Shiawassee County, Michigan. ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (UM, U of M or U-M) is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Columbia Law School, located in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is one of the professional schools of Columbia University, a member of the Ivy League, and one of the leading law schools in the United States. ... The Michigan Daily is the daily student newspaper of the University of Michigan. ...

During the 1930s, Dewey was a New York City prosecutor. He first achieved headlines in the early 1930s, when he prosecuted bootlegger Waxey Gordon while serving as Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Additionally, he relentlessly pursued gangster Dutch Schultz, both as a federal and state prosecutor. Schultz's first trial ended in a deadlock; prior to his second trial, Schultz had the venue moved to Syracuse, then moved there and garnered the sympathy of the townspeople so that when it came time for his trial, the jury found him innocent, liking him too much to convict him. Following that trial, Dewey and Fiorello H. LaGuardia found grounds with which to try Schultz a third time, driving Schultz into hiding in Newark, New Jersey. There, Schultz put into action a plan to assassinate Dewey. Crime boss Lucky Luciano, fearing that if Dewey was murdered, the FBI and federal government would wage all out war on the Mafia, ordered that Schultz be killed before he had the chance to finalize his plans. Luciano's plan went accordingly, and before Schultz could finish organizing his plot to kill Dewey, Schultz was shot to death in the bathroom of a Newark Bar. Shortly thereafter, Dewey focused his attentions on Luciano, and had him convicted of being a pimp. The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... The angry face of Dutch Schultz, 1935 Dutch Schultz (August 6, 1902 – October 24, 1935) was a New York City-area gangster of the 1920s and 30s. ... Nickname: The Salt City Location of Syracuse within the state of New York Coordinates: City Government  - Mayor Matthew Driscoll Area  - City 66. ... LaGuardia redirects here. ... Nickname: The Brick City Map of Newark in Essex County Coordinates: County Essex Founded/Incorporated 1666/1836  - Mayor Cory Booker, term of office 2006–2010 Area [1]    - City 67. ... Charles Lucky Luciano (born Salvatore Lucania) (November 24, 1897 – January 26, 1962) was a Sicilian-American mobster. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 1936, while serving as special prosecutor in New York County, Dewey helped indict and convict Richard Whitney, the former president of the New York Stock Exchange. That year, Mr. Dewey received The Hundred Year Association of New York's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York." In 1939 Dewey prosecuted American Nazi leader Fritz Kuhn for embezzlement, crippling Kuhn's organization. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... Richard Whitney (August 1, 1888 - December 5, 1974), was an American financier, president of the New York Stock Exchange 1930-1935, and a convicted embezzler. ... The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ... The logo of The Hundred Year Association of New York The Hundred Year Association of New York was founded in 1927 to recognize and reward dedication and service to the City of New York by businesses and organizations that have been in operation in the City for a century or... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... National Socialism redirects here. ... Fritz Kuhn (May 15, 1896–December 14, 1951) was the leader of the German-American Bund, prior to World War II. He was a naturalized citizen of the United States and a loyal supporter of the German government led by Adolf Hitler. ...

Dewey was elected District Attorney of New York County (Manhattan) in 1937. Manhattan is a borough of New York City, USA, coterminous with New York County. ...

Governorship of New York

In 1938, at age 36, Dewey ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York on his record as a criminal prosecutor. While defeated, Dewey's strong showing against popular incumbent Governor Herbert Lehman, FDR's successor, brought him political attention. He won his second race in 1942, and was reelected in 1946 and 1950. Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 - December 5, 1963) was a Governor and Senator from New York. ... FDR may refer to: Franklin Delano Roosevelt - The 32nd President of the United States, Flight data recorder - device used to record aircraft and pilot behavior in order to analyze accidents (usually called black boxes by the news media). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

He was regarded as an honest and efficient governor. He cut taxes, doubled state aid to education, increased salaries for state employees, and reduced the state's debt by over $100 million. Additionally, he put through the first state law in the country which prohibited racial discrimination in employment. As governor, Dewey also signed legislation that created the State University of New York. The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY (IPA pronunciation: ) is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. ...

He also strongly supported the death penalty. During his 12 years as Governor over 90 people were electrocuted (including two women) under New York authority. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being killed is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ...

Presidential candidacies

Dewey ran for the 1940 Republican nomination, but lost to Wendell Willkie, who went on to lose to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the general election. At the time Dewey was considered an isolationist, like Willkie's other rivals, Senators Robert Taft and Arthur Vandenberg. Dewey's position evolved during the 1940s; he was generally considered an internationalist and classed with the moderates in later years. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Wendell L. Willkie Wendell Lewis Willkie (February 18, 1892 – October 8, 1944) was a lawyer in the United States and the Republican nominee for the 1940 presidential election. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... Robert A. Taft Robert Alphonso Taft (September 8, 1889 - July 31, 1953), of the Taft political family of Ohio, was a United States Senator and sought to be the Presidential candidate of the Republican Party in 1940 and 1952. ... Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg (March 22, 1884–April 18, 1951) was a Republican Senator from the state of Michigan who participated in the creation of the United Nations. ...

Election of 1944

Dewey won the Republican nomination in 1944 but was defeated in the election by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the incumbent. Alice Roosevelt Longworth, a socialite well known for her wit, called Dewey, alluding to his pencil-thin moustache, "the little man on the wedding cake," a bit of ridicule he could not shake. Dewey campaigned against the alleged inefficiencies, corrupution and Communist influences in New Deal, but avoided military and foreign policy debates. Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... Alice Roosevelt, taken about 1900. ... The New Deal was the title President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to the series of programs initiated between 1933–1938 with the goal of relief, recovery and reform of the United States economy during the Great Depression. ...

Election of 1948

The Chicago Daily Tribune, like most of the press, believed Dewey would win the election, as shown by this post-election headline, which Harry Truman happily displays in this photo.

He was the Republican candidate in the 1948 presidential election in which, in unanimous predictions by pollsters and the press, he was projected as the winner. The Chicago Daily Tribune printed "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" as its post-election headline, issuing a few hundred copies before the returns showed conclusively that the winner was Harry S. Truman, the incumbent. Image File history File links Harry S. Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune at Union Station in St. ... Image File history File links Harry S. Truman holding a copy of the Chicago Tribune at Union Station in St. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois and owned by the Tribune Company. ... President Truman announces that Germany had surrendered (May 8 1945) Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953); as Vice President, he succeeded to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ...

Indeed, given Truman's sinking popularity, Dewey had seemed unstoppable. Republicans figured that all they had to do was to avoid destroying a certain election victory, and as such, Dewey did not take any risks. He spoke in platitudes, trying to transcend politics. Speech after speech was filled with empty statements of the obvious, such as the famous quote: "Your future is bright, very bright indeed, brighter than a bald man's dome." An editorial in the Louisville Courier-Journal summed it up: The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the C-J, is the main newspaper for the city of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the paper is the 48th largest daily paper in the United States and the single largest in Kentucky. ...

No presidential candidate in the future will be so inept that four of his major speeches can be boiled down to these historic four sentences: Agriculture is important. Our rivers are full of fish. You cannot have freedom without liberty. Our future lies ahead.^[1]

It was believed that Dewey's poor showing in 1944 was partly due to being too aggressive, a fault which his campaign aimed to avoid this time.

Dewey was not as conservative as the Republican Congress, which also proved problematic for him. Truman tied Dewey to the "do-nothing" Congress. However, unlike Robert Taft, a powerful Senator from Ohio and rival for the nomination in 1948, Dewey was no longer an isolationist. He supported the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, recognition of Israel, and the Berlin airlift. Robert A. Taft Robert Alphonso Taft (September 8, 1889 - July 31, 1953), of the Taft political family of Ohio, was a United States Senator and sought to be the Presidential candidate of the Republican Party in 1940 and 1952. ... Isolationism is a diplomatic policy whereby a nation seeks to avoid alliances with other nations. ... Map of Cold-War era Europe and the Near East showing countries that received Marshall Plan aid. ... Truman delivering the Truman Doctrine on March 12, 1947. ... The Soviet Union blocked Western rail and road access to West Berlin from June 24, 1948 - May 11, 1949. ...

Later career

Dewey did not run for president in 1952 and instead helped Dwight Eisenhower win the Republican Party's presidential nomination and the subsequent election. Dewey's third term as governor of New York expired in 1954, after which he retired from public service and returned to his law practice, Dewey-Balentine, although he remained a power broker behind the scenes in the Republican Party. It was Dewey who helped elevate a freshman Senator from California named Richard Nixon to the vice-presidency in 1952, having helped convince Eisenhower that Nixon would be the best choice as his running mate. In 1956, when Eisenhower mulled not running for a second term, he suggested Dewey as his choice as successor, but party leaders made it plain that they would not entrust the nomination to Dewey yet again, and ultimately Eisenhower decided to run again. Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ...

By the 1960s, as the conservative wing assumed more and more power within the GOP, Dewey removed himself further and further from party matters. Lyndon Johnson had offered Dewey positions on several blue ribbon commissions, as well as a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, but Dewey politely declined them all, preferring to remain in political retirement. Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States...

In 1970, widower Dewey began to date actress Kitty Carlisle Hart, and there was talk of marriage between them. However, he died suddenly of a heart attack, aged 68, on March 16, 1971 while vacationing in Florida. Kitty Carlisle Hart (also billed as Kitty Carlisle) (September 3, 1910 – April 17, 2007)[1][2][3] was an American singer, actress and spokeswoman for the arts. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (76th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

Trivia

• He was the first presidential candidate born in the twentieth century.
• He was raised Epicopalian and never converted to another denomination or religion.
• The house that Thomas Dewey was born in is now the site of a Tim Horton's doughnut shop.
• Al Taliaferro, the Disney comic strip artist and creator of the Huey, Dewey and Louie ducklings, named Dewey after Thomas Dewey.
• In 1964, the New York State Legislature officially renamed the New York State Thruway in honor of Dewey. The official designation is, however, rarely used in reference to the road, and the naming was opposed by many Italian Americans, who are a relatively large and important demographic presence in the state. However, signs on Interstate 95 from the end of the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx to the Connecticut state line (and vice-versa) designate the Thruway as being the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway.
• In 2005, the New York City Bar Association named an award after Dewey. The Thomas E. Dewey Medal, sponsored by the law firm of Dewey Ballantine LLP, is awarded annually to one outstanding Assistant District Attorney in each of New York City's five counties (New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond). The Medal was first awarded on November 29, 2005.

Charles Alfred Taliaferro (August 29, 1905 - February 3, 1969) known simply as Al Taliaferro was a Disney comics artist who used to produce Disney comic strips for King Features Syndicate. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck are a trio of fictional ducks who appear in animated cartoons and comic books published by the Walt Disney Company. ... The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway) is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of New York. ... An Italian-American is an American of Italian descent either born in America or someone who has immigrated. ... The Bruckner Expressway is a freeway in The Bronx. ... The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of United States. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bibliography

• Divine, Robert A. "The Cold War and the Election of 1948," The Journal of American History, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jun., 1972), pp. 90-110 in JSTOR
• Donaldson, Gary A. Truman Defeats Dewey (1999). University Press of Kentucky
• Smith, Richard Norton. Thomas E. Dewey and His Times. Simon & Schuster, New York (1982)

Jean-François Millet Le Semeur (The Sower) Simon & Schuster logo, circa 1961. ...

References

• Thomas E. Dewey Papers, University of Rochester

Notes

Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... “Louisville” redirects here. ... November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

External links

• Another biography
• Info from the Political Graveyard