168th New York State Legislature


The 168th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3, 1951, to March 20, 1952, during the ninth and tenth 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 Liberal Party, the American Labor Party, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Socialist Labor Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1950, was held on November 7. Governor Thomas E. Dewey was re-elected. New York State Comptroller Frank C. Moore was elected Lieutenant Governor. Of the other three statewide elective offices up for election, two were carried by the Republicans. The Democratic/Liberal incumbent U.S. Senator Herbert H. Lehman defeated his Republican challenger Lieutenant Governor Joe R. Hanley. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 2,820,000; Democrats 1,981,000; Liberals 266,000; American Labor 222,000; Socialist Workers 13,000; and Industrial Government 7,000.
Five of the seven women members of the previous legislature—Assemblywomen Mary A. Gillen, of Brooklyn; Janet Hill Gordon, a lawyer of Norwich; Genesta M. Strong, of Plandome Heights; Mildred F. Taylor, a coal dealer of Lyons; and Maude E. Ten Eyck, of Manhattan—were re-elected.
The New York state election, 1951, was held on November 6. No statewide elective offices were up for election. Four vacancies in the Assembly were filled.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the first regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1951; and adjourned on March 16.
Oswald D. Heck was re-elected Speaker.
Arthur H. Wicks was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.
The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on December 6, 1951, to enact the re-apportionment of congressional seats according to the 1950 U.S. census.
The Legislature met for the second regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 9, 1952; and adjourned on March 20.

State Senate

Districts

Senators

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Frank S. McCullough changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblyman Orlo M. Brees was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stS. Wentworth Horton*Republican
2ndJohn D. Bennett*Republican
3rdWilliam S. Hults, Jr.*Republican
4thSeymour Halpern*Republican
5thJames F. Fitzgerald*Democrat
6thFrank D. O'Connor*Democrat
7thWilliam N. Conrad*Democrat
8thJames J. Crawford*Democrat
9thHarry Gittleson*Democrat
10thHerbert I. Sorin*Democrat
11thFred G. Moritt*Democrat
12thSamuel L. Greenberg*Democrat
13thJohn F. Furey*Democrat
14thMario M. DeOptatis*Democrat
15thLouis L. Friedman*Democrat
16thWilliam Rosenblatt*Democrat
17thJohn M. Braisted, Jr.*Democrat
18thElmer F. Quinn*DemocratMinority Leader; died on September 2, 1952
19thFrancis J. Mahoney*Democraton September 12, 1952, chosen Minority Leader
20thMacNeil Mitchell*Republican
21stHarold I. Panken*Democrat
22ndWilliam J. BianchiRep./Am. Labor
23rdJoseph Zaretzki*Democrat
24thJohn J. Donovan, Jr.Democrat
25thArthur Wachtel*Democrat
26thNathaniel T. Helman*Democrat
27thEnzo GaspariDemocrat
28thFrancis J. McCaffreyDemocrat
29thWilliam F. Condon*Republican
30thFrank S. McCullough*Republican
31stPliny W. Williamson*RepublicanChairman of Judiciary
32ndThomas C. Desmond*Republican
33rdErnest I. Hatfield*Republican
34thArthur H. Wicks*Republicanre-elected Temporary President
35thPeter J. Dalessandro*Democrat
36thGilbert T. Seelye*Republican
37thThomas F. Campbell*Republican
38thHenry Neddo*Republican
39thPaul D. Graves*Republican
40thWalter Van Wiggeren*RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages
41stFred J. RathRepublican
42ndHenry A. Wise*RepublicanChairman of Public Relief and Welfare
43rdJohn H. Hughes*Republican
44thWalter W. Stokes*Republican
45thFloyd E. Anderson*Republicanon January 3, 1952, appointed to the New York Supreme Court
45thOrlo M. Brees*Republicanon February 13, 1952, elected to fill vacancy;
took his seat on February 18, 1952
46thChauncey B. Hammond*Republicandied on February 11, 1952
47thGeorge R. MetcalfRepublican
48thFred S. Hollowell*Republican
49thAustin W. Erwin*Republican
50thGeorge T. Manning*Republican
51stFrank E. Van LareRepublican
52ndEarl W. Brydges*Republican
53rdWalter J. Mahoney*RepublicanChairman of Finance
54thStanley J. BauerRepublican
55thJohn H. CookeRepublican
56thGeorge H. Pierce*Republican

Employees

Assemblymen

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

Employees