Edward Burton Hughes (1905 – 6 June 1987) was Acting Commissioner of

New York State Department of Transportation The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in ...

in 1969, Executive Deputy Commissioner of

from 1967 to 1970, and Deputy Superintendent of

New York State Department of Public Works The office of Superintendent of Public Works was created by an 1876 amendment to the New York State Constitution. It abolished the canal commissioners and established that the Department of Public Works execute all laws relating to canal maintenanc ...

from 1952 to 1967. Hughes worked over 45 years in public service at the DOT. Upon his retirement in 1970, he founded the ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award''.

Biography

Hughes was born in

Lansingburgh, New York Lansingburgh was a village in the north end of Troy. It was first laid out in lots and incorporated in 1771 by Abraham Jacob Lansing, who had purchased the land in 1763. In 1900, Lansingburgh became part of the City of Troy. Demographics Lansi ...

, in 1905. Edward and his parents, Edward B. Hughes and Susan, resided at 693 Third Avenue,

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...

, and it was here Edward Jr.'s brother John was born in 1909. Edward's father worked as a bookkeeper at a local grocery store in

. Edward Jr. attended Lansingburgh High School and furthered his education at

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...

(the oldest private engineering and technical university in the USA) from which he graduated.

Career

Hughes joined the

in 1925 as a junior civil engineer in the Bureau of Bridges and Grade Crossings in the main office at Albany. From 1949, Hughes was appointed Director of the Department of Rights of Way and Claims on a yearly salary of $19,500. For four years before that, he had been Assistant Director. In 1952, Hughes became Deputy Superintendent of

, a post he served continuously until Governor

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

assigned him the newly created position of Executive Deputy Commissioner of the

in 1967. In 1942, during

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Hughes served as a captain assigned to the Division of the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

(USACE) in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. In 1944, Hughes was promoted to major. He returned to state service in 1945 and resumed his post as Assistant Director of the Rights of Way and Claims Bureau. In 1952, Hughes was appointed Deputy New York State Superintendent of Public Works. A report in the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

announced his promotion. During Hughes' post as Deputy Superintendent of

, he worked alongside the Superintendents

Bertram Dalley Tallamy Bertram Dalley Tallamy (December 1, 1901 – September 14, 1989) was superintendent of the New York State Department of Public Works from 1948 to 1955. On October 12, 1956, he was named by Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Federal Highway Administrat ...

(until 1955), John W. Johnson (1955-1959), and John Burch McMorran (1959-1967). In 1953, at the New York State Conference of Mayors and Other Municipal Officials, Hughes gave his ‘Good Roads for All’ speech, the title of which became associated with him. ‘I suspect all of you, having arrived in Monticello, now are instilled with that insistent Catskill Mountain slogan: ‘We want good roads.’ All of us in the Public Works Department concur, and are doing everything possible to bring more and more good roads to every corner of our great Empire State. It is a tremendous task, and I appreciate this opportunity to outline for you what is being done...etc.’ In May 1953, Governor

Thomas Edmund Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...

appointed Hughes as Chairman of the nine-member Advisory Board to help the State Safety Division’s Bureau of Safety and Accident Prevention. The Advisory Board was formed to draft accident prevention policies and programs. In 1954,Hughes announced during a speech he gave at the State Association of Highway Engineers Annual Convention that the State was '20 years behind in essential road work. $4 Billion is needed just to catch up on the backlog of essential highway construction." Understandably, the news came as a complete shock to everyone at the convention. When

became Governor of New York State in 1959 (a post he held until 1973), Hughes and Rockefeller became close working colleagues. In 1967, when Rockefeller created the

, Rockefeller assigned Hughes the position of Executive Deputy Commissioner of the

. Through their working association, their respective families also became friends. An original etching by actor/artist

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

gifted to

by Hughes is housed at the Rockefeller family home

Kykuit Kykuit ( ), known also as the John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room historic house museum in Pocantico Hills, a hamlet in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York 25 miles north of New York City. The house was built for oil tycoon and Rockefelle ...

(also known as the John D. Rockefeller Estate) in

Pocantico Hills Pocantico Hills is a hamlet in the Westchester County town of Mount Pleasant, New York, United States. The Rockefeller family estate, anchored by Kykuit, the family seat built by John D. Rockefeller Sr., is located in Pocantico Hills, as is the a ...

, in

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 ...

. In 1962, as representatives of the Department of Public Works, J. Burch McMorran and Hughes accompanied Governor

on a tour of the

Niagara Frontier The Niagara Frontier refers to the stretch of land in the United States that is south of Lake Ontario and north of Lake Erie, and extends westward to Cleveland, Ohio. The term dates to the War of 1812, when the northern border was in contention b ...

for a series of inspections and dedication ceremonies involving, power, bridge, arterial and park facilities. The trip included the dedication ceremony of the new

South Grand Island Bridge The South Grand Island Bridge is a pair of twin two-lane truss arch bridges spanning the Niagara River between Tonawanda and Grand Island in New York, United States. Each bridge carries one direction of Interstate 190 (I-190) and New Y ...

, which was part of the Niagara Power Project. When John Burch McMorran retired from his post as Commissioner of

on 31 July 1969, Governor Rockefeller appointed Hughes the top-level post of Acting Commissioner of the

for the interim period of two months until the new Commissioner, Theodore W. Parker, could take office. Hughes was a popular choice. Congressman Robert Cameron McEwan, in the

U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...

, hailed the selection of Hughes to be Acting Commissioner of Transportation for the State of New York: ‘I am well acquainted with Mr. Hughes,’ said McEwan, ‘during my 12 years in the New York State Senate, I recognize his ability as an engineer and administrator.’ In a telegram from Congressman Robert Cameron McEwan to congratulate Hughes upon being selected for the post, McEwan wrote: ’Your experience, knowledge and understanding of the Department, and the transportation needs of our state, eminently qualify you for this position. The Governor is to be congratulated for his excellent choice.’ Some newspaper reports rumored Hughes was to have been made the commissioner full-time, but, as happened, Hughes planned to retire from public office several months later (in 1970) after serving 45 years in public service. During his long career, Hughes served alongside 7 Governors of New York:

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 ...

(1925-1928),

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

(1929-1932), Herbert H. Lehman (1933-3/12/1942),

Charles Poletti Charles Poletti (July 2, 1903 – August 8, 2002) was an American lawyer and politician. He became the 46th governor of New York in December 1942, and was the first Italian-American governor in the United States. Born in Barre, Vermont to Ital ...

(3/12/1942-31/12/1942,

Thomas E. Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...

(1943-1954), W. Averell Harriman (1955-1958), and

(1959-1969). During Hughes' time as Acting Commissioner some of the works he introduced and proposed included a 60-mile-an-hour speed limit on Route 20, proposed the reconstruction of 4.2 miles of the Shore Airport Road (County Route 43) in the village and town of Ticonderoga, Essex County, and announced the proposal of the construction of 2.66 miles of the Susquehanna Expressway, to be known as Interstate Route 88, plus allied connector roads at Oneonta in Otsego county, Hughes was a member of the

University Club of Albany The University Club of Albany, New York, was founded at the start of the 20th century. It is currently housed in a Colonial Revival architecture, Colonial Revival brick building at the corner of Washington Avenue (New York State Route 5) and Dove S ...

and the

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test quality control, protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction through ...

. He died at age 82 on Saturday 6 June 1987 at his home in

Delmar, New York Delmar is a hamlet in the Town of Bethlehem, in Albany County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of the neighboring city of Albany. The community is bisected by NY Route 443 (Delaware Avenue), a major thoroughfare, main street, and route ...

. His burial took place at the

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Colonie, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical Am ...

Family

Hughes married Jane Williams (b. 1906, New York) on July 2, 1930, in

Rensselaer, New York Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the east side of the Hudson River, directly opposite of Albany. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 9,210. Rensselaer is on the western border of ...

. Edward and Jane first lived at 534 Second Avenue in

and then 10A Second Avenue, in the same city. For most of their married life the couple resided in Delmar at 26 Wiltshire Drive,

Albany County, New York Albany County ( ) is a county in the state of New York, United States. Its northern border is formed by the Mohawk River, at its confluence with the Hudson River, which is to the east. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 3 ...

, 12054. Jane Williams is the niece of the writer and poet Rev.

Aeneas Francon Williams Aeneas Francon Williams, FRSGS (17 February 1886 – 9 December 1971) was a Minister of the Church of Scotland, a Missionary, Chaplain, writer and a poet. Williams was a missionary in the Eastern Himalayas and China and writer of many publishe ...

. Jane's mother, Grace Williams (b. 1862), was the sister of the renowned Welsh writer and geographer

John Francon Williams John Francon Williams (1854 – 4 September 1911) was a Welsh writer, geographer, historian, journalist, cartographer, and inventor, born in Llanllechid, Caernarvonshire. His seminal work was ''The Geography of the Oceans''. Family John Franc ...

. In 1885, Grace married Welsh-born Robert William Williams (1861-1931) in Bethesda, North Wales, hence Grace and her children retained the Williams surname. In late 1891, Grace and Robert and their two young children, Robert Henry (b. 1886) and William John (b. 1888), emigrated to the US, arriving 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 ...

in January 1892. The family settled in Granville, Washington, New York. Robert worked as a slate quarryman. Grace and Robert went on to have five more children, all born in America: John Francon (1893-1974, named after her brother), Mary (b. 1896), Jean (b. 1897), Robert C. (b. 1901) and Jane (b. 1906). In the mid-1910s, Robert Henry Williams became a reporter in

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

, and an assistant editor on the ''Lynn Daily Item''. During the 1920s, he was a reporter on the ''Lynn Telegram News''.

The E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award

The prestigious ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award'' was given annually to an outstanding department employee of the

. It as named in honor of Hughes, who retired in 1970 as Executive Deputy Commissioner after 45 years of Department service. All the recipients of the award receive a silver bowl, an inscribed plaque, and a monetary check.

Recipients of the E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award

* 1970: Matthew E. Elder - winner of the first ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award'', was a foreman with the State Department of Transportation's Washington County Residency. *1971: Larry L. Leggett - winner of the second ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award'' in the New York DOT. * 1973: David Putz - winner of the fourth ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award'', worked in the Planning Division of the Planning and Research Bureau. * 1974: Philip D. Morey - winner of the fifth ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award'', and an employee of the Albany regional office of the Department of Trade. * 1978: Richard Chimera - winner of the ninth ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award'', a

Niskayuna Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county. ...

resident. The award signified Chimera's selection as the outstanding employee of the Department of Transportation for 1978. New York State Commissioner of Transportation William C. Hennessy presented Chimera with the award on December 5, 1978. * 1979: Mr. Wendell French - winner of the tenth ''E. Burton Hughes Achievement Award'', a former graduate of Pulaski Academy & Central School (1944) and DOT employee for 35 years.

Notes

* E. Burton Hughes appointed Deputy Superintendent of the State Public Works Department to succeed Fed W. Finch. Finch applied for retirement from the $15,840-a-year post last week because of ill health. Hughes, a native of Troy, has been director of the department's bureau of rights of way and claims since 1949.:''Plattsburgh Press-Republican'', 19 August 1952, front page – New Deputy Sup’t of State PWD Appointed (report). * Governor

appointed E. Burton Hughes as Acting Commissioner of Transportation to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of John Burch McMorran on 31 July 1969:''The Adirondack Record-Elizabethtown Post'', 31 July 1969, front page – Burton Hughes Named Acting Comm. Of Trans. (report). * McEwan Hails the Appointment of Hughes:''Ogdensburg Journal'', 25 July 1969, front page – McEwan Hails the Appointment of Hughes (report). * E. Burton Hughes remained in the post of (acting) Commissioner of

for two months until 2 September when Theodore W. Parker aged 60 (a retired Army General) was assigned the position:''The Massena Observer'', 7 August 1969, page 20 – T. Parker Succeeds B. McMorran (report). * E. Burton Hughes of Delmar, a State career employee since 1925, has been designated by Governor Rockefeller as Acting Commissioner of Transportation to fill temporarily the vacancy created by the retirement, 31 July, of J. Burgh McMorran. Mr. Hughes, who has been Executive Deputy Commissioner since 1967, joined the Department of Public Works in 1925 as a junior civil engineer. He became its Deputy Superintendent in 1952 and, with the creation of the successor Department of Transportation in 1967 he was named Executive Deputy Commissioner:''The Brewster Standard'', 31 July 1969, front page – McMorran Quits Public Works Post – Chief of State Transportation Since 1959 Received Praise from Rockefeller as he Reaches Retirement Age of 70 (report). * Photograph taken on 27 April 1967 in the Red Room: Nelson Rockefeller signing the Highway Safety Bill: The picture includes John Burns, J. Burch McMorran, E. Burton Hughes, Dr. Andrew Fleck, Albert Danzig, William Eckhof, Dr. Warren Knox, Holden Evans, James Honey, Ellis Tiker, Dr. Hollis Ingram, Richard Stewart, R. Burdell Bixby and James Allen. Nelson A. Rockefeller photographs, Gubernatorial Press office, Series 3: New York (State). Governor (1959-1973: Rockefeller) Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich). * Nelson A. Rockefeller personal papers, Art, Series C, 1931-1979: Huber-Hull Collection: Nelson A. Rockefeller personal papers, Art, Series C, Sub-series 3: CKU Reference Files: General correspondence and memoranda concerning loans of NAR artworks, possible purchases and inquiries and comments from the public. Huber, Carlos Hubert, Thomas Hudson Guild Hudson, Joseph L. Jr. (The J. L. Hudson Company) Hudson River Museum Hudson River School Hudson Art Valley Association Huethwohl, Charles Huff, Mrs. E. L. Hughes, E. Burton Hughes, Margaret Hulett, Katherine Hull etc.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Edward Burton New York State Superintendents of Public Works 1905 births 1987 deaths People from Lansingburgh, New York American civil engineers Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni Nelson A. Rockefeller 20th-century American politicians Military personnel from New York (state) United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel United States Army personnel of World War II Burials in New York (state)