# 165th New York State Legislature

The 165th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3, 1945, to March 26, 1946, during the third and fourth years of Thomas E. Dewey's governorship, in Albany.

## Background

In 1943, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate and Assembly districts. The total number of state senators was increased to 56. Chautauqua, Dutchess, Monroe, Oneida, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Schenectady and Steuben counties lost one Assembly seat each; and New York County lost seven seats. Kings and Westchester counties gained one seat each; Nassau County gained two; Bronx County gained five; and Queens County gained six seats.
Thus, 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 (nine districts), New York (six), Bronx (five), Queens (four), Erie (three), Westchester (three), Monroe (two) and Nassau (two). The Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county (except Hamilton Co.), 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 newly organized Liberal Party and the Socialist Labor Party (running under the name of "Industrial Government Party") also nominated tickets.

## Elections

The 1944 New York state election, was held on November 7. The two statewide elective offices up for election were carried by Democrats with American Labor and Liberal endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the average vote for U.S. Senator and Judge of the Court of Appeals, was: Republicans 2,913,000; Democrats 2,432,000; American Labor 476,000; Liberals 320,000; and Industrial Government 16,000.
Two of the four women members of the previous legislature—State Senator Rhoda Fox Graves (Rep.), of Gouverneur; and Assemblywoman Mary A. Gillen (Dem.), of Brooklyn—were re-elected. Gladys E. Banks (Rep.), of the Bronx; and Genesta M. Strong (Rep.), of Plandome Heights, were also elected to the Assembly.
The 1945 New York state election was held on November 6. No statewide elective offices were up for election. Three vacancies in the State Senate and five vacancies in the Assembly were filled.

## Sessions

The Legislature met for the first regular session (the 168th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1945; and adjourned on March 24.
Oswald D. Heck (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker.
Benjamin F. Feinberg (Rep.) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.
The Legislature met for the second regular session (the 169th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1946; and adjourned on March 26.

## State Senate
### Districts

* 1st District: Suffolk County
* 2nd and 3rd District: Parts of Nassau County
* 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th District: Parts of Queens County, i.e. the Borough of Queens
* 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn
* 17th District: Richmond County, i.e. the Borough of Richmond (now the Borough of Staten Island)
* 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan
* 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx
* 29th, 30th and 31st District: Parts of Westchester County
* 32nd District: Orange and Rockland counties
* 33rd District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties
* 34th District: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties
* 35th District: Albany County
* 36th District: Rensselaer and Saratoga counties
* 37th District: Montgomery and Schenectady counties
* 38th District: Clinton, Essex, Warren and Washington counties
* 39th District: St. Lawrence and Franklin counties
* 40th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Lewis counties
* 41st District: Oneida County
* 42nd District: Jefferson and Oswego counties
* 43rd District: Onondaga County
* 44th District: Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Otsego and Schoharie counties
* 45th District: Broome County
* 46th District: Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties
* 47th District: Cayuga, Seneca and Wayne counties
* 48th District: Ontario, Steuben and Yates counties
* 49th District: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties
* 50th and 51st District: Parts of Monroe County
* 52nd District: Niagara and Orleans counties
* 53rd, 54th and 55th District: Parts of Erie County
* 56th District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties

### Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. John D. Bennett, William S. Hults Jr, Roy H. Rudd, Fred G. Moritt, Louis L. Friedman, Isidore Dollinger and Mortimer A. Cullen changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblymen Arthur Wachtel and Fred S. Hollowell were elected to fill vacancies in the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."
| District | Senator | Party | Notes |
| 1st | Perry B. Duryea Sr.* | Republican | on April 11, 1945, appointed as Commissioner of Conservation. |
| 1st | W. Kingsland Macy | Republican | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy; on November 5, 1946, elected to the 80th U.S. Congress |
| 2nd | John D. Bennett* | Republican | |
| 3rd | William S. Hults Jr.* | Republican | |
| 4th | Seymour Halpern* | Republican | |
| 5th | Frederic E. Hammer | Republican | |
| 6th | John V. Downey* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 7th | William N. Conrad | Democrat | |
| 8th | James J. Crawford* | Dem./Lib. | |
| 9th | Roy H. Rudd* | Democrat | |
| 10th | James A. Corcoran* | Democrat | |
| 11th | Fred G. Moritt* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 12th | Samuel L. Greenberg* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 13th | William Kirnan* | Democrat | |
| 14th | Joseph E. Parisi | Republican | |
| 15th | Louis L. Friedman* | Democrat | |
| 16th | William Rosenblatt | Democrat | |
| 17th | Robert S. Bainbridge* | Republican | |
| 18th | Elmer F. Quinn* | Democrat | Minority Leader |
| 19th | Francis J. Mahoney* | Democrat | |
| 20th | Frederic R. Coudert Jr.* | Republican | on November 5, 1946, elected to the 80th U.S. Congress |
| 21st | Gordon I. Novod | Democrat | |
| 22nd | Richard A. DiCostanzo* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| 23rd | Alexander A. Falk* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 24th | Lazarus Joseph* | Dem./Am. Labor | on November 6, 1945, elected New York City Comptroller |
| The seat remained vacant throughout the session of 1946 |||
| 25th | Carl Pack* | Dem./Am. Labor | died on August 7, 1945 |
| 25th | Arthur Wachtel* | Democrat | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |
| 26th | Isidore Dollinger* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 27th | Paul A. Fino | Republican | |
| 28th | Lowell H. Brown | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| 29th | William F. Condon* | Republican | |
| 30th | J. Raymond McGovern | Republican | |
| 31st | Pliny W. Williamson* | Republican | |
| 32nd | Thomas C. Desmond* | Republican | |
| 33rd | Frederic H. Bontecou* | Republican | |
| 34th | Arthur H. Wicks* | Republican | Chairman of Finance |
| 35th | Mortimer A. Cullen* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 36th | Gilbert T. Seelye* | Republican | |
| 37th | Thomas F. Campbell | Republican | |
| 38th | Benjamin F. Feinberg* | Rep./Am. Labor | re-elected Temporary President |
| 39th | Rhoda Fox Graves* | Republican | |
| 40th | Fred A. Young* | Rep./Dem. | |
| 41st | Vincent R. Corrou | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 42nd | Isaac B. Mitchell* | Republican | |
| 43rd | Richard P. Byrne | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| 44th | Walter W. Stokes* | Republican | |
| 45th | Floyd E. Anderson* | Republican | |
| 46th | Chauncey B. Hammond* | Republican | |
| 47th | Henry W. Griffith* | Republican | |
| 48th | Earle S. Warner* | Republican | on January 22, 1945, appointed to the New York Supreme Court |
| 48th | Fred S. Hollowell* | Republican | on March 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy. |
| 49th | Austin W. Erwin* | Republican | |
| 50th | Rodney B. Janes* | Republican | |
| 51st | Allen J. Oliver* | Republican | |
| 52nd | William Bewley* | Rep./Dem. | |
| 53rd | Walter J. Mahoney* | Republican | |
| 54th | Stephen J. Wojtkowiak* | Dem./Am. Labor | died on April 6, 1945 |
| 54th | Edmund P. Radwan | Republican | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |
| 55th | Charles O. Burney Jr.* | Republican | |
| 56th | George H. Pierce* | Rep./Am. Labor | |

### Employees

* Clerk: William S. King
* Assistant Clerk: Pat E. Provenzano

## State Assembly
### Assemblymen

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."
| District | District | Assemblymen | Party | Notes |
| Albany | 1st | Charles C. Wallace | Dem./Am. labor | |
| Albany | 2nd | George W. Foy* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Albany | 3rd | James F. Dillon | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Allegany | Allegany | William H. MacKenzie* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| Bronx | 1st | Patrick J. Fogarty* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Bronx | 2nd | Sidney A. Fine | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Bronx | 3rd | Edward T. Galloway | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Bronx | 4th | Matthew J. H. McLaughlin* | Democrat | |
| Bronx | 5th | Arthur Wachtel* | Dem./Am. Labor | resigned to run for the State Senate |
| The seat remained vacant throughout the session of 1946 |||
| Bronx | 6th | Julius J. Gans* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Bronx | 7th | Louis Peck | Democrat | |
| Bronx | 8th | Louis Bennett* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Bronx | 9th | Francis T. Murphy | Democrat | |
| Bronx | 10th | John J. DePasquale | Republican | |
| Bronx | 11th | Gladys E. Banks | Republican | |
| Bronx | 12th | Nathan A. Lashin | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Bronx | 13th | Leo Isacson | Am. Labor/Rep. | |
| Broome | 1st | Richard H. Knauf* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| Broome | 2nd | Orlo M. Brees* | Republican | |
| Cattaraugus | Cattaraugus | Leo P. Noonan* | Republican | |
| Cayuga | Cayuga | James H. Chase* | Republican | |
| Chautauqua | Chautauqua | E. Herman Magnuson* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| Chemung | Chemung | Harry J. Tifft* | Republican | |
| Chenango | Chenango | Irving M. Ives* | Rep./Dem./A.L. | Majority Leader; on November 5, 1946, elected to the U.S. Senate |
| Clinton | Clinton | Leslie G. Ryan* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| Columbia | Columbia | Frederick A. Washburn* | Republican | |
| Cortland | Cortland | Harold L. Creal* | Republican | |
| Delaware | Delaware | Elmer J. Kellam* | Republican | |
| Dutchess | Dutchess | Ernest I. Hatfield* | Republican | |
| Erie | 1st | Frank A. Gugino* | Republican | |
| Erie | 2nd | Justin C. Morgan* | Republican | |
| Erie | 3rd | William J. Butler* | Republican | |
| Erie | 4th | John P. Quinn* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Erie | 5th | Philip V. Baczkowski* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Erie | 6th | George F. Dannebrock | Republican | |
| Erie | 7th | Julius Volker | Republican | |
| Erie | 8th | John R. Pillion* | Republican | |
| Essex | Essex | Sheldon F. Wickes* | Rep./Dem. | appointed as County Judge |
| Essex | Essex | L. Judson Morhouse | Republican | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |
| Franklin | Franklin | William L. Doige* | Rep./Dem. | |
| Fulton and Hamilton | Fulton and Hamilton | Joseph R. Younglove* | Rep./Dem. | |
| Genesee | Genesee | Herbert A. Rapp* | Republican | |
| Greene | Greene | William E. Brady* | Republican | |
| Herkimer | Herkimer | Leo A. Lawrence* | Rep./Dem./A.L. | |
| Jefferson | Jefferson | Orin S. Wilcox | Republican | |
| Kings | 1st | Max M. Turshen* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 2nd | J. Sidney Levine | Dem./Lib. | |
| Kings | 3rd | Mary A. Gillen* | Democrat | |
| Kings | 4th | Bernard Austin* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 5th | John R. Starkey* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 6th | Robert J. Crews* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 7th | John F. Furey* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 8th | Arthur A. Low | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 9th | Frank J. McMullen | Republican | |
| Kings | 10th | Lewis W. Olliffe* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 11th | Eugene F. Bannigan* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 12th | James W. Feely* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 13th | Lawrence P. Murphy | Democrat | |
| Kings | 14th | Harry Gittleson* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 15th | John Smolenski* | Democrat | |
| Kings | 16th | Frank J. Pino | Democrat | |
| Kings | 17th | John J. Walsh | Democrat | |
| Kings | 18th | Irwin Steingut* | Dem./Am. Labor | Minority Leader |
| Kings | 19th | Philip J. Schupler | Dem./Lib. | |
| Kings | 20th | John E. Beck | Republican | |
| Kings | 21st | Thomas A. Dwyer* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 22nd | Anthony J. Travia* | Democrat | |
| Kings | 23rd | Alfred A. Lama* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Kings | 24th | Philip Blank | Democrat | |
| Lewis | Lewis | Benjamin H. Demo* | Rep./Dem. | |
| Livingston | Livingston | Joseph W. Ward* | Republican | |
| Madison | Madison | Wheeler Milmoe* | Republican | |
| Monroe | 1st | Frank J. Sellmayer Jr.* | Republican | |
| Monroe | 2nd | Abraham Schulman* | Republican | |
| Monroe | 3rd | George T. Manning* | Republican | |
| Monroe | 4th | Thomas F. Riley* | Republican | |
| Montgomery | Montgomery | John F. Bennison* | Republican | |
| Nassau | 1st | Frank J. Becker | Republican | |
| Nassau | 2nd | Joseph F. Carlino | Republican | |
| Nassau | 3rd | Genesta M. Strong | Republican | |
| Nassau | 4th | David S. Hill Jr. | Republican | |
| New York | 1st | MacNeil Mitchell* | Republican | |
| New York | 2nd | Louis DeSalvio* | Democrat | |
| New York | 3rd | Owen McGivern* | Democrat | |
| New York | 4th | Leonard Farbstein* | Democrat | |
| New York | 5th | Irwin D. Davidson* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| New York | 6th | Francis X. McGowan* | Democrat | |
| New York | 7th | Patrick H. Sullivan* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| New York | 8th | Archibald Douglas Jr. | Republican | |
| New York | 9th | John R. Brook* | Republican | |
| New York | 10th | John P. Morrissey* | Democrat | |
| New York | 11th | William E. Prince | Democrat | |
| New York | 12th | William T. Andrews* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| New York | 13th | Daniel Flynn* | Democrat | |
| New York | 14th | Hulan E. Jack* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| New York | 15th | William J. A. Glancy* | Democrat | |
| New York | 16th | Hamlet O. Catenaccio* | Rep./Am. Labor | |
| Niagara | 1st | Jacob E. Hollinger* | Rep./Dem. | |
| Niagara | 2nd | Harry D. Suitor* | Republican | died on March 25, 1945 |
| Niagara | 2nd | Ernest Curto | Rep./Am. Labor | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |
| Oneida | 1st | Harlow E. Bacon | Republican | |
| Oneida | 2nd | Frank A. Emma* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Onondaga | 1st | Leo W. Breed* | Republican | |
| Onondaga | 2nd | Clellan S. Forsythe | Republican | |
| Onondaga | 3rd | Frank J. Costello* | Republican | on November 6, 1945, elected Mayor of Syracuse |
| Onondaga | 3rd | Lawrence M. Rulison | Republican | on December 18, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |
| Ontario | Ontario | Harry R. Marble* | Republican | |
| Orange | 1st | Lee B. Mailler* | Republican | |
| Orange | 2nd | Wilson C. Van Duzer* | Republican | |
| Orleans | Orleans | John S. Thompson* | Republican | |
| Oswego | Oswego | Henry D. Coville* | Republican | |
| Otsego | Otsego | Paul L. Talbot | Republican | |
| Putnam | Putnam | D. Mallory Stephens* | Republican | Chairman of Ways and Means |
| Queens | 1st | Alexander Del Giorno | Democrat | |
| Queens | 2nd | William E. Clancy* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Queens | 3rd | Joseph H. Brinster | Republican | |
| Queens | 4th | Charles J. Dalzell* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Queens | 5th | Thomas F. Hurley | Republican | |
| Queens | 6th | William F. Bowe* | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Queens | 7th | George Archinal* | Republican | |
| Queens | 8th | Samuel Rabin | Republican | |
| Queens | 9th | Fred W. Preller | Republican | |
| Queens | 10th | Angelo Graci | Republican | |
| Queens | 11th | Thomas Fitzpatrick | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Queens | 12th | John H. Ferril* | Dem./Am. Labor | died on February 23, 1945 |
| Queens | 12th | James J. Crisona | Dem./Am. Labor | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |
| Rensselaer | Rensselaer | John S. Finch* | Republican | |
| Richmond | 1st | Arthur T. Berge | Republican | |
| Richmond | 2nd | Edmund P. Radigan | Republican | |
| Rockland | Rockland | Robert Walmsley* | Republican | |
| St. Lawrence | St. Lawrence | Allan P. Sill* | Republican | |
| Saratoga | Saratoga | Richard J. Sherman* | Republican | appointed as County Judge |
| Saratoga | Saratoga | John L. Ostrander | Republican | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |
| Schenectady | Schenectady | Oswald D. Heck* | Republican | re-elected Speaker |
| Schoharie | Schoharie | Arthur L. Parsons* | Republican | |
| Schuyler | Schuyler | Jerry W. Black | Republican | |
| Seneca | Seneca | Lawrence W. Van Cleef* | Republican | |
| Steuben | Steuben | William M. Stuart* | Republican | |
| Suffolk | 1st | Edmund R. Lupton* | Republican | |
| Suffolk | 2nd | Elisha T. Barrett* | Republican | |
| Sullivan | Sullivan | James G. Lyons | Dem./Am. Labor | |
| Tioga | Tioga | Myron D. Albro* | Republican | |
| Tompkins | Tompkins | Stanley C. Shaw* | Republican | |
| Ulster | Ulster | John F. Wadlin* | Republican | |
| Warren | Warren | Harry A. Reoux* | Republican | Chairman of Judiciary |
| Washington | Washington | Henry Neddo* | Republican | |
| Wayne | Wayne | Henry V. Wilson* | Republican | |
| Westchester | 1st | Malcolm Wilson* | Republican | |
| Westchester | 2nd | Fred A. Graber | Republican | |
| Westchester | 3rd | P. Raymond Sirignano | Republican | |
| Westchester | 4th | Frank S. McCullough | Republican | |
| Westchester | 5th | Christopher H. Lawrence* | Republican | |
| Westchester | 6th | Theodore Hill Jr.* | Republican | |
| Wyoming | Wyoming | Harold C. Ostertag* | Republican | |
| Yates | Yates | Fred S. Hollowell* | Republican | resigned to run for the State Senate |
| Yates | Yates | Vernon W. Blodgett | Republican | on November 6, 1945, elected to fill vacancy |

### Employees

* Clerk: Ansley B. Borkowski