Ogden R. Reid
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Ogden Rogers Reid (June 24, 1925 – March 2, 2019) was an American politician and diplomat. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a six-term
United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...
.


Early life

Reid was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the son of publishers
Helen Rogers Reid Helen Miles Rogers Reid (November 23, 1882 – July 27, 1970) was an American newspaper publisher. She was president of the ''New York Herald Tribune''. Early life Reid was born Helen Miles Rogers in Appleton, Wisconsin on November 23, 1882. ...
(1882–1970) and
Ogden Mills Reid Ogden Mills Reid (May 16, 1882 – January 3, 1947) was an American newspaper publisher who was president of the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Early life Reid was born on May 16, 1882 in Manhattan. He was the son of Elisabeth ( née Mills) Reid ( ...
(1882–1947), and the brother of Whitey Reid (1913–2009) and Elisabeth Reid, who died in childhood. He was the grandson of diplomat and 1892 Republican Vice Presidential candidate
Whitelaw Reid Whitelaw Reid (October 27, 1837 – December 15, 1912) was an American politician and newspaper editor, as well as the author of ''Ohio in the War'', a popular work of history. After assisting Horace Greeley as editor of the ''New-York Tribu ...
(1837–1912). His family owned the ''
New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the ''New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...
'' and before that the ''
New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...
''. His aunt, Jean Templeton Reid (1884–1962), was married to Sir
John Hubert Ward Major Sir John Hubert Ward, (20 March 1870 – 2 December 1938) was a British army officer and courtier. Early life Ward was the second son of William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley by his wife Georgina Elizabeth née Moncreiffe. His paternal grand ...
(1870–1938), the son of
William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley William Ward, 1st Earl of Dudley (27 March 1817 – 7 May 1885), known as The Lord Ward from 1835 to 1860, was a British landowner and benefactor. Background and education Ward was born on 27 March 1817 at Edwardstone, Boxford, Suffolk, Engl ...
. His grandmother, Elisabeth Reid (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Mills) (1857–1931), and her brother, Ogden Mills (1856–1929), were the children of
Darius Ogden Mills Darius Ogden Mills (September 25, 1825 – January 3, 1910) was a prominent American banker and philanthropist. For a time, he was California's wealthiest citizen. Early life Mills was born in North Salem, in Westchester County, New Yor ...
(1825–1910). He graduated from
Deerfield Academy Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admissi ...
in 1943 and
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, where he was a member of
Book and Snake The Society of Book and Snake (incorporated as the Stone Trust Corporation) is the fourth oldest secret society at Yale University and was the first society to induct women into its delegation. Book and Snake was founded at the Sheffield Scientif ...
, in 1949. He was widely known by his nickname, "Brownie".


Career


Military service

Reid enlisted as a private in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in 1943 and was discharged as a
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...
in 1946. He later served as a
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the
United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed F ...
.


''New York Herald Tribune''

From 1955 until 1958, Reid served as publisher, president, and editor of the family paper, the ''
New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the ''New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...
''. During his tenure, he brought puzzle contests and stories from Hollywood into the newspaper, but did little to help the paper's finances.
John Hay Whitney John Hay Whitney (August 17, 1904 – February 8, 1982) was U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, publisher of the ''New York Herald Tribune'', and president of the Museum of Modern Art. He was a member of the Whitney family. Early life Whit ...
bought the paper shortly thereafter in August 1958. From 1956 until 1959, Reid was a director of the
Panama Canal Company The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...
.


Political career


Ambassador to Israel

From 1959 to 1961, Reid was the
United States Ambassador to Israel The United States ambassador to Israel is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Israel. Until 1948 the area that is now the state of Israel had been under British administration as part of the ...
. In this role, he interacted with Foreign Minister
Golda Meir Golda Meir, ; ar, جولدا مائير, Jūldā Māʾīr., group=nb (born Golda Mabovitch; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was an Israeli politician, teacher, and ''kibbutznikit'' who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1 ...
, who expressed Israel's opposition to a proposal to revive the Palestine Conciliation Commission in an attempt to solve the Arab refugee problem. Following his return to the United States, he became a director of the
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company The Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, also known as MassMutual, is a Springfield, Massachusetts-based life insurance company. MassMutual provides financial products such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term ...
in 1961.


United States Congress

In 1962, Reid was elected to the Eighty-eighth Congress as a
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. He was on the liberal fringe of the
GOP The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the Two-party system, two Major party, major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by Abolitionism in the United Stat ...
and faced repeated challenges in primaries. In 1965, Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
wrote to Rep. Reid thanking him for coming to Alabama and visiting
Selma Selma may refer to: Places *Selma, Algeria *Selma, Nova Scotia, Canada *Selma, Switzerland, village in the Grisons United States: *Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches *Selma, Arkansas *Selma, Cali ...
. King wrote that "Your very presence there has had an electric effect upon the voteless and beleaguered Negro citizens of this city, county, state and nation." On March 22, 1972, he
switched parties Switched may refer to: * Switched (band) Switched (previously depicted as Sw1tched) was a nu metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. History Forming in 1999 as Sw1tch, the band played shows around Ohio and released a demo entitled ''Fuckin' Demo''. T ...
and joined the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
. Reid said that he could not support
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
for re-election and the Republican Party had "moved to the right" and was "not showing the compassion and sensitivity to meet the problems of the average American." After switching parties he turned back a Republican challenge in
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
. Then in 1974 at the end of that term Reid declined to seek re-election to the House. While in Congress, Reid sponsored 85 pieces of legislation and co-sponsored 99 pieces of legislation.


Later career

In 1974, he briefly ran for
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 ...
, dropping out of the race before the election. He later served in the administration of Democratic governor
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. ...
as Commissioner of
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and was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for the post of
Westchester County Executive The Westchester County Executive is the head of the executive branch of the Westchester County, New York, government. The current county executive is George Latimer. The county executive has power to veto acts of Westchester County Board of Legis ...
in 1983. His papers are held with the Manuscripts and Archives at the
Sterling Memorial Library Sterling Memorial Library (SML) is the main library building of the Yale University Library system in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Opened in 1931, the library was designed by James Gamble Rogers as the centerpiece of Yale's Gothic Revi ...
at
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
.


Personal life

In July 1949, Reid married Mary Louise Stewart (b. July 8, 1925), a
Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...
and
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
graduate who was the daughter of William Harold Stewart and Dorothy Miller. She was a granddaughter of Roswell Miller (1843–1913), the former president of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and Mary Louise Roberts (1866–1955). Her uncle, Roswell Miller, Jr. (1894–1983) married
Margaret Carnegie Margaret Frances Carnegie (14 March 1910 – 5 August 2002) was an Australian writer, art patron and collector. Biography Margaret Frances Carnegie was born in Melbourne on 14 March 1910, daughter of Henry George Allen and Amelia Burberry. S ...
(1897–1990), the only daughter of
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
. Together, the Reids had six children: * Stewart Mills Reid, who married Vivian Green, the daughter of Paul Green, in 1973. * Michael Whitelaw Reid, who married Anne Katherine Burrows, daughter of Kenneth G. Burrows, in 1984. * William Rogers Reid, who married Elizabeth Garno, the daughter of Edmund Forsythe Garno, Jr., in 2000. * Elisabeth Reid (b. 1960), who married Richard W. Taylor, Jr., son of Richard W. Taylor, in 1981. * Ogden Reid (b. 1961) * David Whitelaw Reid (b. 1967) During his youth Reid lived at Ophir Cottage, the home in
Purchase, New York Purchase is a hamlet in the town and village of Harrison, in Westchester County, New York, United States. One myth explains that its name is derived from Harrison's purchase, where John Harrison was to be granted as much land as he could ride in ...
that was built by his grandfather, Whitelaw Reid. He owned Flyway, a 430‐acre estate in
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
near the Virginia border that was worth $600,000 in 1974. Reid was a member of the
New York Athletic Club The New York Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club in New York state. Founded in 1868, the club has approximately 8,600 members and two facilities: the City House, located at 180 Central Park South in Manhattan, and Travers ...
, the River Club and the Wings Club. Reid died on March 2, 2019, at his home in Waccabuc, New York, at the age of 93.


See also

*
List of American politicians who switched parties in office The following American politicians switched parties while they were holding elected office. Federal State Local See also * List of Canadian politicians who have crossed the floor * List of elected British politicians who have chang ...
*
List of United States representatives who switched parties The following are members of the United States House of Representatives who switched parties while serving in Congress. See also * List of United States senators who switched parties *List of party switchers in the United States *Party switching ...


References


External links


U.S. State Department Archives (People)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Ogden 1925 births 2019 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Israel United States Army personnel of World War II Reid family Yale University alumni Deerfield Academy alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Military personnel from New York City United States Army officers United States Army reservists Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)