Martin C. Ansorge
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Martin Charles Ansorge (January 1, 1882 – February 4, 1967) was a United States representative from
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.


Biography

The son of Mark Perry Ansorge and Jennie Bach Ansorge, Martin Ansorge was born into a Jewish household in Corning, Steuben County,
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 * '' ...
on January 1, 1882. He attended the public schools and the College of the City of New York. He graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1903 and Columbia Law School in 1906. He was admitted to the bar in 1906 and commenced practice in
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.


Start of political career

Ansorge was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for election to Congress in 1912, 1914, and 1916. In his bid for the 21st District Congressional Seat in 1916, Ansorge's campaign slogan was "Feed America First", advocating the necessity of an embargo upon shipment abroad of foodstuffs needed for the consumption of American people, taking a stand on international trade negotiations and import tariffs post World War I. He declined the Republican nomination for Congress in 1918.


World War I

During the First World War Ansorge enlisted as a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
in the United States Army. He was assigned to the
Motor Transport Corps The Motor Transport Corps (M.T.C.) was formed out of the United States Army Quartermaster Corps on 15 August 1918, by General Order No. 75. Men needed to staff this new corps were recruited from the skilled tradesmen working for automotive man ...
; Ansorge was stationed at Camp Meigs in what is now the Brentwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and intended to serve in France. The armistice took place before he left the country, and he was honorably discharged at the end of the war.


Continued political career

He was the first chairman of the Triborough Bridge Committee, a position he held from 1918 to 1921. Ansorge was elected as a Republican to the 67th United States Congress (March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1923). He lost reelection to the
68th United States Congress The 68th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1923 ...
in 1922 by the margin of 345 votes, and unsuccessfully contested the victory of
Royal H. Weller Royal Hurlburt Weller (July 2, 1881 – March 1, 1929) was a United States representative from New York (state), New York. Early life and education Weller was born in New York City on July 2, 1881. He attended the public schools and the City C ...
. In the contest proceedings, he won dismissal of an injunction prevent the opening of the ballot boxes; the subsequent recount reduced Weller's margin of victory, but Weller won the seat by 10 votes. As a Congressman, Ansorge was influential in the attempted passage of the first-ever federal anti-lynching legislation. His work on the matter was eventually incorporated into the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, which would made lynching a federal crime. Shortly after an Ansorge speech in support of the bill, Columbia University President Nicholas Murray Butler wrote to Ansorge: "You are making a fine and highly patriotic record in the House, and your friends are proud of you". The bill passed the House, 230 to 119, but was filibustered in the Senate by Southern Democrats and never became law. Having founded the Young Republicans at Columbia University, Ansorge was a protege, close friend, and political ally of Butler's. The two remained very close for years, and Ansorge was staff to Butler at the Republican Convention. Ansorge spoke on behalf of Butler at a number of political rallies in New York. Ansorge was co-author of the original
Port Authority In Canada and the United States, a port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other t ...
Bill, which he shepherded successfully through Congress. He was an active leader in efforts to develop "the greatest port in the world" connecting New York and New Jersey. He presented the bill to President Warren Harding to sign into law. The pen stayed in the Ansorge family for some years until it was given to the City Museum of New York.


Attempt to integrate the U.S. service academies

In 1922, Ansorge nominated the first African-American since 1874 to the U.S. Naval Academy. Although there had been three Black midshipmen at Annapolis in the 1870s, Emile Treville Holley was not accepted for enrollment because of racist attitudes at the time. As the ''New York Times'' reported, U.S. Navy officers and Annapolis midshipmen who "will not talk for publication on this matter" expressed the idea that "the fate that awaits the candidate is social ostracism" and that "it is safe to say that the midshipmen have condemned him to '"Conventry,', just as nearly fifty years ago the midshipmen of 1873, 1874 and 1875 refused to receive as equals three other negro boys..." Holley enrolled instead at Middlebury College in Vermont and then went on to become a college professor."Emile T. Holley
72, Retired Professor", ''Washington Post'', March 17, 1977


Later career

Ansorge was an unsuccessful candidate for judge of the court of general sessions of New York City in 1924 and unsuccessful candidate for justice of the supreme court of New York in 1927 and in 1928. The New York Times made mention of Ansorge as a candidate for Mayor of New York City in 1949. Ansorge continued to practice law in New York City, was a member of the board of directors of United Air Lines from 1934 to 1961. He represented Henry Ford in the
Aaron Sapiro Aaron Leland Sapiro (February 5, 1884 – November 23, 1959) was an American cooperative activist, lawyer and major leader of the farmers' movement during the 1920s. One of the many issues he spoke on was cooperative grain marketing and was part ...
libel lawsuit, which resulted in Ford's apologies and agreement to pay court costs.


Death and burial

Ansorge died at his apartment in the
Ansonia Hotel The Ansonia is a building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, located at 2109 Broadway, between 73rd and 74th Streets. It was originally built as a residential hotel by William Earle Dodge Stokes, the Phelps-Dodge copper heir ...
at 74th Street and Broadway in
Manhattan, New York City Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
on February 4, 1967. He was interred in Temple Israel Cemetery,
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County located in the southwestern part of the town of Greenburgh in the state of New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of midtown Manha ...
.


See also

*
List of Jewish members of the United States Congress This is a list of Jewish members of the United States Congress. , there are 10 Jewish senators and 27 Jewish members of the House of Representatives serving in the United States Congress. Senate Elected to the Senate, but not seated House ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ansorge, Martin 1882 births 1967 deaths American anti-lynching activists Columbia Law School alumni Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Politicians from Corning, New York 20th-century American politicians Activists from New York (state) Columbia College (New York) alumni Military personnel from New York (state) United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army soldiers