|
| Affiliation | Republican |
|
| Name | John Purroy Mitchel |
| Address |
, New York , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
July 19, 1879
|
| Died | July 06, 1918
(38 years)
|
| Contributor | nystate63 |
| Last Modifed | RBH
Jan 05, 2013 03:13pm |
| Tags |
Irish - Catholic -
|
| Info | At thirty-five years old, John Purroy Mitchel was the youngest person ever to be elected Mayor of New York City, a distinction that earned him the nickname, "Boy Mayor." A graduate of Columbia University and New York Law School, Mitchel held numerous government posts after being admitted to the bar. While city Commissioner of Accounts, Mitchel uncovered a protection racket in the Police Department and conducted investigations that forced the ouster of two borough presidents, and prompted another to flee the continent. Elected President of the Board of Alderman in 1909, Mitchel is credited with drafting the city's first comprehensive budget, with a full accounting of all of the city's resources. In 1913, he dealt a crushing blow to Tammany Hall, winning the mayoral election on a fusion ticket by a large plurality. His inauguration speech was unique in that he did not make bold pledges to reinvent government. Instead, he placed a three month moratorium on any public pronouncements by anyone in his administration: "We will develop our program slowly. It will not be necessary for us to go to the people of the city every day and tell them what we propose to do. It will be better for us to wait a little while and then to go to them and tell them what we are doing or have done."
Mitchel's waste-cutting measures and accounting practices earned the city national acclaim. He brought into the administration competent professionals and devised a zoning plan to govern city development � the first such plan in the nation. He also standardized salary and work requirements for city employees. Despite Mitchel's notable accomplishments, he was not reelected. In 1918, he enlisted in the Army Air Service to be trained as a pilot in World War I. His life was cut short while on final training in Louisiana, when his plane plummeted 500 feet to the ground on July 6, 1918. A few days shy of his 39th birthday, Mitchel was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
|
 | BOOKS |
 |
|
| Title |
Purchase |
Contributor |
|
| Start Date |
End Date |
Type |
Title |
Contributor |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
| INFORMATION LINKS |
|
|
|
