166th New York State Legislature


The 166th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 8, 1947, to March 13, 1948, during the fifth and sixth years of Thomas E. Dewey's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1943, 56 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were Kings, New York, Bronx, Queens, Erie, Westchester, Monroe and Nassau. The Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county, or of contiguous area within one county.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The American Labor Party, the Liberal Party and the Communist Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1946, was held on November 5. Governor Thomas E. Dewey and Lieutenant Governor Joe R. Hanley were re-elected, both Republicans. The other five statewide elective offices up for election were carried by four Republicans, and the Democratic Chief Judge with Republican, American Labor and Liberal endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 2,826,000; Democrats 1,532,000; American Labor 429,000; Liberals 177,000; and Communists 90,000.
All four women members of the previous legislature—State Senator Rhoda Fox Graves, of Gouverneur; and Assemblywomen Mary A. Gillen, of Brooklyn; Gladys E. Banks, of the Bronx; and Genesta M. Strong, of Plandome Heights—were re-elected. Janet Hill Gordon, a lawyer of Norwich; Elizabeth Hanniford, a statistician of the Bronx; Mildred F. Taylor, a coal dealer of Lyons; and Maude E. Ten Eyck, of Manhattan; were also elected to the Assembly.
The New York state election, 1947, was held on November 4. No statewide elective offices were up for election. Four vacancies in the State Senate, and four vacancies in the Assembly were filled.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the first regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 8, 1947; and adjourned on March 18.
Oswald D. Heck was re-elected Speaker.
Benjamin F. Feinberg was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.
The Legislature met for the second regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1948; and adjourned on March 13.

State Senate

Districts

Members

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. MacNeil Mitchell, Sidney A. Fine and George T. Manning changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblyman Ernest I. Hatfield was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stS. Wentworth HortonRepublican
2ndJohn D. Bennett*Republican
3rdWilliam S. Hults, Jr.*Republican
4thSeymour Halpern*Republican
5thFrederic E. Hammer*Republican
6thCharles T. CoreyRepublican
7thIrwin PakulaRepublican
8thJames J. Crawford*Dem./Lib.
9thRichard McCleeryRepublican
10thKenneth SherbellAm. Labor/Rep.
11thFred G. Moritt*Dem./Am. Labor
12thSamuel L. Greenberg*Dem./Am. Labor
13thC. Corey MillsRep./Am. Labor
14thJoseph E. Parisi*Rep./Am. Labor
15thLouis L. Friedman*Democrat
16thWilliam Rosenblatt*Democrat
17thRobert E. JohnsonRepublicanin August 1947, appointed as D.A. of Richmond Co.
17thJohn M. Braisted, Jr.Democraton November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
18thElmer F. Quinn*Dem./Am. LaborMinority Leader
19thFrancis J. Mahoney*Dem./Am. labor
20thMacNeil Mitchell*Republican
21stHarold I. PankenDemocrat
22ndAlfred E. SantangeloDemocrat
23rdAlexander A. Falk*Democratin May 1947, appointed to the New York Civil Service Commission
23rdJoseph ZaretzkiDemocraton November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
24thSidney A. Fine*Democrat
25thArthur Wachtel*Democrat
26thIsidore Dollinger*Democraton November 2, 1948, elected to the 81st U.S. Congress
27thPaul A. Fino*Republican
28thCharles V. ScanlanRepublican
29thWilliam F. Condon*Republican
30thJ. Raymond McGovern*Republican
31stPliny W. Williamson*RepublicanChairman of Judiciary
32ndThomas C. Desmond*RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities
33rdFrederic H. Bontecou*Republicanon May 9, 1947, tendered his resignation, effective June 1
33rdErnest I. Hatfield*Republicanon November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
34thArthur H. Wicks*RepublicanChairman of Finance
35thPeter J. DalessandroDemocrat
36thGilbert T. Seelye*Republican
37thThomas F. Campbell*Republican
38thBenjamin F. Feinberg*Republicanre-elected Temporary President
39thRhoda Fox Graves*Republican
40thFred A. Young*Republican
41stRobert C. GrobenRepublican
42ndIsaac B. Mitchell*RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs; resigned on June 12, 1947
42ndHenry A. WiseRepublicanon November 4, 1947, elected to fill vacancy
43rdJohn H. HughesRepublican
44thWalter W. Stokes*RepublicanChairman of Conservation
45thFloyd E. Anderson*Republican
46thChauncey B. Hammond*Republican
47thHenry W. Griffith*Republican
48thFred S. Hollowell*Republican
49thAustin W. Erwin*Republican
50thGeorge T. ManningRepublican
51stAllen J. Oliver*RepublicanChairman of Aviation
52ndWilliam Bewley*Republican
53rdWalter J. Mahoney*Republican
54thEdmund P. Radwan*Republican
55thCharles O. Burney, Jr.*Republican
56thGeorge H. Pierce*Republican

Employees

Assemblymen

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."

Employees