Irving L'Hommedieu (January 12, 1865 – July 14, 1931) was an American lawyer and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

who was known as the "father of the system of state taxation and licensing of motor cars."

Early life

L'Hommedieu was born on January 12, 1865, in Shelby, Orleans County, New York. He was the son of Assemblyman

Wallace L'Hommedieu Wallace L'Hommedieu (October 8, 1833 – February 8, 1916) was a politician from New York State who served in the New York State Assembly. Early life L'Hommedieu was born on October 8, 1833, in Shelby, New York. He was a son of Henry L'Hommedieu ...

(1833–1916) and Frances Marion ( Berry) L'Hommedieu (1838–1895). Among his siblings were Warren L'Hommedieu, Avis ( L'Hommedieu) Jump, John Berry L'Hommedieu, and Albert Warren L'Hommedieu. His paternal grandfather, Henry L'Hommedieu, was a native of

Orwell, Vermont Orwell is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,239 at the 2020 census. Mount Independence was the largest fortification constructed by the American colonial forces. The site is now one of Vermont's premier stat ...

, and one of the pioneers of Orleans County, New York and a son of Mulford L'Hommedieu, a Revolutionary War soldier. He attended the common schools, Medina Free Academy and Albany Law School. He studied law with Edmund L. Pitts, was admitted to the bar in 1886, and practiced in Medina.

Career

After being admitted to the bar L'Hommedieu formed a partnership with Edwin B. Simonds. In 1902, Simonds became county judge and Surrogate and L'Hommedieu practiced alone until 1906 when he became the senior member of L'Hommedieu & Whedon. In 1893, he was chosen village attorney of Medina, his first public office. Later, he served as president of the Board of Education and was Postmaster of Medina from 1899 to 1902; which he resigned when he was elected to the State Senate. He served as a member of the

New York State Republican Committee The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York State affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, Buffalo, and New York City.

from 1898 to 1902 and was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1920 and

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

. From 1928 until his death, he was the chairman of the Orleans County Republican Committee.''The New York Red Book''
by Edgar L. Murlin (1903; pg. 87) He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(45th D.) from 1903 to 1906, sitting in the 126th, 127th, 128th and

129th New York State Legislature The 129th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to May 3, 1906, during the second year of Frank W. Higgins's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provi ...

s.''Official New York from Cleveland to Hughes''
by Charles Elliott Fitch (Hurd Publishing Co., New York and Buffalo, 1911, Vol. IV; pg. 365f) While in the Senate, L'Hommedieu introduced legislature out of which grew the motor vehicle system of licensing and taxing motor vehicles in New York and quickly spread to the other states.

Personal life

On June 29, 1887, L'Hommedieu was married to Christina Breed (1864–1922), a daughter of Charles H. Breed and Sena ( Barry) Breed. He died on July 14, 1931, in Medina; and was buried at the Boxwood Cemetery there.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:LHommedieu, Irving 1865 births 1931 deaths Republican Party New York (state) state senators People from Shelby, New York New York (state) postmasters Albany Law School alumni People from Medina, New York