Isaac Adler


Isaac Adler was an American attorney and politician. He was the Mayor of Rochester, New York from 1930–1932.

Life

He was born on May 10, 1868 in Medina, New York to Levi Adler and Theresa Wile. He attended the Rochester Free Academy. He earned the A.B. at Harvard College and the L.L.B. at Harvard Law School.
Together with members of his extended family, Adler owned Adler-Rochester, a clothing firm.

Career

Adler was of counsel to the Rochester Board of Education form 1906–1913, and was, at times, an attorney of counsel to the Board. An advocate of the city manager form of government, was a member of the Rochester City Council from 1927–1933, Vice mayor, and Mayor from 1930 - 32. He is noted for his work preparing the city manager charter adopted by Rochester in 1925.

Reforming city government

In 1923, a group of Progressive Era Rochester civic leaders asked Adler to select members and Chair a committee with the goal of moving Rochester to a city manager system. The six men and women he invited included civic and labor leaders, individuals who held positions including chairman of the Democratic County committee and of the Women's City Club. The group carried out a study of cities that had moved to city manager systems, focusing on cities where proposals for such a change had been rejected by voters. A "City Manager League" was formed to create public support for the change. It was opposed by a "Non-Partisan League for the Preservation of Popular Government," hastily formed a few weeks before the vote. The measure passed on 3 November 1925, and the city charter was amended. Adler became vice-mayor under the new system.

Family

He married Cora Barnet and they had four children together, all girls. Only one married and had children of her own. The last of their four children died at the age of one year.