Michael William Bray (September 25, 1889 – January 17, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician. He was

Lieutenant Governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket wit ...

from 1933 to 1938.

Biography

Bray was born in Churubusco, New York on September 25, 1889, the son of John Bray and Hannah (Fahey) Bray. He graduated from Union College in 1911, and from Albany Law School in 1913. He commenced practice in Utica, New York. In 1924, he became Chairman of the Oneida County Democratic Committee, and he was Chairman of the

New York State Democratic Committee The New York State Democratic Committee is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Its headquarters are in Manhattan, and it has an office in Albany, New York, Alba ...

from 1928 to 1930. He was a delegate to the

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

and

1948 Democratic National Convention The 1948 Democratic National Convention was held at Philadelphia Convention Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 12 to July 14, 1948, and resulted in the nominations of President Harry S. Truman for a full term and Senator Alben W. Ba ...

s. In

Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, former Governor

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...

and state Democratic Party chairman

James A. 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 Postmas ...

backed the nomination of

Herbert H. Lehman Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 – December 5, 1963) was an American Democratic Party politician from New York. He served from 1933 until 1942 as the 45th governor of New York and represented New York State in the U.S. Senate from 194 ...

for governor, over the opposition of Tammany Hall and its allies. Lehman won, and as a peace offering Farley permitted Tammany to choose the candidate for lieutenant governor. Bray was nominated, and won the general election, defeating Republican F. Trubee Davison. (Prior to 1954 the governor and lieutenant governor of New York were elected separately. Each party's candidates for governor and lieutenant governor now run separately in the primary election, and on a single ballot in the general election.) Lehman and Bray were renominated and reelected in

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

as he defeated

Fred J. Douglas Fred James Douglas (September 14, 1869 – January 1, 1949) was a United States representative from New York. Born in Clinton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, he moved with his parents to Little Falls, New York in 1874. He attended the public ...

. They won again in

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

, and Bray defeated Ralph K. Robertson. In

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

Bray was replaced as the lieutenant governor nominee by Charles Poletti, who had been Lehman's counsel and a Justice of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

. Before Governor Lehman left office in 1942, he appointed Bray to the New York Public Service Commission, and he served until 1945. In January 1948 Bray was confined to his bed by a heart condition when he was severely injured in a house fire. His death appeared imminent, and a priest administered the last rites. Bray suffered severe burns to his face, arms, and torso, and his right forearm was amputated, but he recovered and left the hospital in March. In November 1948 Bray wed Catherine Claire Coleman of New York City, who survived him. Bray later served as bankruptcy trustee for the company that operated public buses in Schenectady, and he was President of the

New York State Bar Association The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of New York. The mission of the association is to cultivate the science of jurisprudence; promote reform in the law; facilitate the administration of justice ...

in 1950. In 1955, Bray was appointed to a 10-year term on the State Building Commission. He died at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Utica, New York on January 17, 1961. He was buried at Saint Patrick Cemetery in

Chateaugay, New York Chateaugay is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 2,155. The name is derived from a location in France, which was applied to a local land grant. Within the town is a village also ...

1932 New York State Democratic Ticket

*Governor:

*Lieutenant Governor: M. William Bray *Comptroller:

Morris S. Tremaine Morris Sawyer Tremaine (February 27, 1871 – October 12, 1941) was an American businessman and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician from Buffalo, New York. He served as New York State Comptroller for almost 15 years. ...

*Attorney General:

John J. Bennett Jr. John James Bennett (March 2, 1894 Brooklyn, Kings County, New York – October 4, 1967, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician. Life Bennett was educated in Brooklyn's public and parochial schools. He was an a ...

*U.S. Senate:

Robert F. Wagner Robert Ferdinand Wagner I (June 8, 1877May 4, 1953) was an American politician. He was a Democratic U.S. Senator from New York from 1927 to 1949. Born in Prussia, Wagner migrated with his family to the United States in 1885. After graduating ...

1934 New York State Democratic Ticket

*Governor:

*Lieutenant Governor: M. William Bray *Comptroller:

*Attorney General:

*U.S. Senate:

Royal S. Copeland Royal Samuel Copeland (November 7, 1868June 17, 1938), a United States Senator from New York from 1923 until 1938, was an academic, homeopathic physician, and politician. He held elected offices in both Michigan (as a Republican) and New York ...

1936 New York State Democratic Ticket

*Governor:

*Lieutenant Governor: M. William Bray *Comptroller:

*Attorney General:

Biography

1932 New York State Democratic Ticket

1934 New York State Democratic Ticket

1936 New York State Democratic Ticket

References

Further reading