Abraham David Beame (March 20, 1906February 10, 2001)
[ was the 104th ]mayor of New York City
The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
from 1974 to 1977. As mayor, he presided over the city during its fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, when the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy.
Early life
Beame was born Abraham David Birnbaum in London. His parents were Esther (née Goldfarb) and Philip Birnbaum, Jewish immigrants from Poland who fled Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
. Beame and his family left England when he was three months old. He was raised on New York City's Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally an im ...
.
He graduated from P.S. 160 and the High School of Commerce before enrolling at the City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
's School of Business and Civic Administration (later spun off as Baruch College
Baruch College (officially the Bernard M. Baruch College) is a public college in New York City. It is a constituent college of the City University of New York system. Named for financier and statesman Bernard M. Baruch, the college operates und ...
), where he received his undergraduate degree in business with honors in 1928.
Career
Career before politics
While in college, Beame co-founded an accounting firm, Beame & Greidinger. He was an accounting teacher at Richmond Hill High School in Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
from 1929 to 1946 and also taught accounting and commercial law at Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
from 1944 to 1945.
From 1952 to 1961, Beame served as New York City's director of the budget, having also served as assistant director from 1946 to 1952. In this capacity, he "negotiated all city labor contracts without a strike and kept books on city spending and borrowing; he also set up management programs that saved the city $40 million."
Early political career
Beame was a "clubhouse" or machine politician, a product of the Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
wing of the patronage-oriented "regular" Democratic organization, the borough's equivalent of Manhattan's Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
and the locus of New York patronage politics following the ascent of Meade Esposito
Amadeo Henry "Meade" Esposito (1907 – September 3, 1993) was an American politician who was a Brooklyn Democratic leader and political boss. Esposito served as chairman of the Kings County Democratic Committee from 1969 to 1984. As a leader, h ...
, as opposed to the policy-oriented "reform" Democrats who entered New York City politics, most effectively in Manhattan and the Bronx in the 1950s.
Before being elected to two nonconsecutive terms as city comptroller in 1961 and 1969, he was a longstanding member of Crown Heights's influential Madison Democratic Club and served as political boss
In politics, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous off ...
Irwin Steingut
Irwin Steingut (October 19, 1893 – September 26, 1952) was an American lawyer, businessman and politician. At the time of his death he had served as a member of the New York Assembly longer than anyone in history. Early in his career he teamed ...
's personal accountant. Members of the Madison Club, including attorney/fundraiser Abraham "Bunny" Lindenbaum and Steingut's son, Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Film and television
* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
, frequently liaised with real estate developer Fred Trump
Frederick Christ Trump Sr. (October 11, 1905 – June 25, 1999) was an American real estate developer and businessman. A member of the Trump family, he was the father of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States.
In partnership w ...
. The club also played a decisive role in the political ascent of Park Slope
Park Slope is a neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, New York City, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park and Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Aven ...
-based attorney Hugh Carey
Hugh Leo Carey (April 11, 1919 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. He was a seven-term U.S. representative from 1961 to 1974 and the 51st governor of New York from 1975 to 1982. He was a member of the Democratic Party. ...
, whose tenure as governor of New York
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...
coincided with Beame's administration, though Carey eventually broke with the organization by endorsing Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as t ...
's 1977 primary bid to unseat Beame.
In 1965, Beame was the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. Edward N. Costikyan
Edward N. Costikyan (September 24, 1924June 22, 2012) was an Armenian American United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party politician who was notable for reforming the party in New York City. He was also the author of many books and articl ...
was his campaign manager and James Farley
James Aloysius Farley (May 30, 1888 – June 9, 1976) was an American politician and Knight of Malta who simultaneously served as chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Postmaste ...
his campaign chair. Despite having Senator Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
's strong support, Beame lost to the Republican nominee, John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
.
Mayor of New York City
Beame won the 1973 Democratic mayoral primary with 34% of the vote, ahead of Herman Badillo
Herman Badillo (pronounced ''bah-DEE-yoh''; August 21, 1929 – December 3, 2014) was an American politician who served as borough president of The Bronx and United States Representative, and ran for Mayor of New York City. He was the first Pu ...
(29%), Mario Biaggi
Mario Biaggi (October 26, 1917 – June 24, 2015) was an American politician, attorney, and police officer. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York from 1969 to 1988.
Prior to his political career, Biagg ...
(24%), and Albert H. Blumenthal
Albert Howard Blumenthal (October 13, 1928 – July 8, 1984) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.
Life
Blumenthal was born on October 13, 1928, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Bennet M. Blumenthal (1888–1980) an ...
(16%). He defeated State Senator John J. Marchi
John Joseph Marchi (May 20, 1921 – April 25, 2009) was an American attorney and jurist who represented Staten Island in the New York State Senate for 50 years. Marchi (pronounced MAR-key), a Republican, retired on December 31, 2006, from the ...
, Blumenthal, and Biaggi in the 1973 mayoral election, becoming the 104th mayor of New York City.
Fiorello La Guardia
Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (; born Fiorello Enrico LaGuardia, ; December 11, 1882September 20, 1947) was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the House of Representatives and served as the 99th Mayor of New York City fro ...
—mayor from 1934 to 1945—had a Jewish mother, but Beame was the first mayor of New York City who was an observant Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...
. He entered office facing the worst fiscal crisis in the city's history and spent most of his term attempting to ward off bankruptcy. Soon after being sworn in as mayor, Beame slashed the city workforce, froze salaries, and reconfigured the budget, which proved unsatisfactory until reinforced by actions from newly created state-sponsored entities and the granting of federal funds.
In October 1975, the city of New York was in debt of $453 million. Beame made a statement on October 17 that the city had insufficient cash on hand to meet its debt obligations for that day. He added that New York City citizens needed to take immediate steps to protect the city's essential life support systems and to preserve their well-being. President Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
at first turned down New York's request for a loan, inspiring the legendary '' Daily News'' headline "Ford to City: Drop Dead", but Ford later approved federal support for New York.
On the evening of July 13, 1977, a massive power failure hit the city. With temperatures in the mid-nineties Fahrenheit and the humidity high, New Yorkers sweltered. By the time power was restored at 10:39 p.m. the next night, the city had been without power for 25 hours. Beame set up a Blackout Action Center at the New York City Police Department headquarters. The blackout resulted in raw sewage washing up on beaches and spoiled food in hundreds or thousands of restaurants around the city.
After a chaotic four years as mayor, Beame ran for a second term in 1977, and finished third in the Democratic primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
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* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
* ...
, behind Representative Ed Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was may ...
and New York Secretary of State
The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York who leads the Department of State (NYSDOS).
The current secretary of state of New York is Robert J. Rodriguez, a Democrat.
Duties
The secre ...
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as t ...
, and ahead of former Representative Bella Abzug
Bella Savitzky Abzug (July 24, 1920 – March 31, 1998), nicknamed "Battling Bella", was an American lawyer, politician, social activist, and a leader in the women's movement. In 1971, Abzug joined other leading feminists such as Gloria Steinem, ...
, Representative Herman Badillo
Herman Badillo (pronounced ''bah-DEE-yoh''; August 21, 1929 – December 3, 2014) was an American politician who served as borough president of The Bronx and United States Representative, and ran for Mayor of New York City. He was the first Pu ...
and Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton
Percy Ellis Sutton (November 24, 1920 – December 26, 2009) was an American political and business leader. An activist in the Civil Rights Movement and lawyer, he was also a Freedom Rider and the legal representative for Malcolm X. He was ...
. He was succeeded by Koch, who won the general election on November 8, 1977.
Beame "was credited with distributing the City's dwindling resources equitably". When he left office on January 1, 1978, the city budget had changed from a $1.5 billion deficit to a surplus of $200 million.
Personal life
Beame was 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) tall.
He was married to his childhood sweetheart, Mary (née Ingerman), for 67 years. They met when Beame was 15, playing checkers at University Settlement Society of New York
The University Settlement Society of New York is an American organization which provides educational and social services to immigrants and low-income families, located at 184 Eldridge Street (corner of Eldridge and Rivington Streets) on the Lowe ...
. They raised two sons, Edmond and Bernard (Buddy), and lived in Brooklyn, first in Crown Heights and later in a "modest apartment" on Plaza Street West in Park Slope. Throughout his life, Beame summered in the Rockaway neighborhood of Belle Harbor
Belle Harbor is a small residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located on the western half of the Rockaway Peninsula, the southernmost area of the borough. Belle Harbor commonly refers to the area from Beach 126th to Be ...
.
Beame received the Townsend Harris medal in 1957, and awards from numerous charitable, religious and civic organizations.
Death
Beame died at the age of 94 on February 10, 2001—two months after the death of his predecessor, Lindsay—after open-heart surgery
Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...
at New York University Medical Center
NYU Langone Health is an academic medical center located in New York City, New York, United States. The health system consists of NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Long Island School of Medicine, both part of New York University (NYU), and m ...
.
See also
* La Guardia and Wagner Archives
The La Guardia and Wagner Archives was established in 1982 at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, New York, to collect, preserve, and make available primary materials documenting the social and political history of New York Ci ...
* Timeline of New York City#1950s–1970s
References
External links
*
* (archived)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beame, Abraham
1906 births
2001 deaths
People from Crown Heights, Brooklyn
People from the Lower East Side
People from London
Baruch College alumni
British emigrants to the United States
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
English people of Polish-Jewish descent
Jewish American people in New York (state) politics
Jewish mayors of places in the United States
Jews and Judaism in New York City
Mayors of New York City
New York (state) Democrats
New York City Comptrollers
Rutgers University faculty
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American Jews
Burials at New Montefiore Cemetery