View source for Jimmy Walker

{{Short description|Mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932}}
{{about|the politician|the actor|Jimmie Walker|the golfer|Jimmy Walker (golfer)|other people named Jimmy Walker|Jimmy Walker (disambiguation){{!}}Jimmy Walker|other people named James Walker|James Walker (disambiguation){{!}}James Walker}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image           = Mayor J. Walker Edit.jpg
|caption         = Portrait by [[Eugene de Salignac]], 1932
|order           = 97th [[Mayor of New York City]]
|term_start      = January 1, 1926
|term_end        = September 1, 1932
|predecessor     = [[John F. Hylan]]
|successor       = [[Joseph V. McKee]]<br>{{small|(acting)}}
|office1         = Member of the [[New York Senate]]
|constituency1   = 13th district (1915{{endash}}18)<br>12th district (1919{{endash}}25)
|term_start1     = January 1, 1915
|term_end1       = December 31, 1925
|preceded1       = [[James D. McClelland]]
|succeeded1      = [[Elmer F. Quinn]]
|state_assembly4 = New York 
|district4       = 5th New York County
|term_start4     = January 1, 1910
|term_end4       = December 31, 1914
|preceded4       = John T. Eagleton
|succeeded4      = Maurice McDonald
|birth_name      = James John Walker
|birth_date      = {{birth date|1881|6|19|mf=y}}
|birth_place     = New York City, U.S.<!-- excluding boroughs or neighborhoods. -->
|death_date      = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1946|11|18|1881|6|19}}
|death_place     = New York City, U.S.<!-- excluding boroughs or neighborhoods. -->
|constituency    =
|party           = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse          = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Janet Walker|1912|1932|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Betty Compton]]|1933|1941|end=div}}
}}
|children        = 2
|relatives       = [[William H. Walker (New York City politician)|William H. Walker]] (father)
}}

'''James John Walker''' (June 19, 1881{{spaced ndash}}November 18, 1946), known colloquially as '''Jimmy Walker''' and '''Beau James''', was an American attorney, lyricist, and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] politician who served as the 97th [[mayor of New York City]] from 1926 until his resignation in 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful [[Tammany Hall]] machine. He was forced to resign during a corruption scandal in which he accepted large sums of money in exchange for municipal contracts.

==Early life and political career==
Walker was the son of Irish-born [[William H. Walker (New York City politician)|William H. Walker]] (1842–1916), a carpenter and lumberyard owner who was very active in local politics as a Democratic assemblyman and alderman from [[Greenwich Village]], belying certain accounts of Walker's childhood that stated he grew up in poverty. Walker was not the best student and dropped out of college, eventually graduating from [[New York Law School]] in 1904. Walker's father wanted him to become a lawyer and politician, but he decided that he would rather write songs and be involved in the music industry. He wrote the lyrics for a 1906 hit, "Will You Love Me in December as You Do in May?" with songwriter [[Ernest Ball]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Tyler|first=Don|title=Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2007|isbn=9780786429462|location=Jefferson, NC|pages=33–34}}</ref> Walker entered politics in 1909 and subsequently passed the [[bar exam]] in 1912.<ref name=Connolly>Connolly, James. "Walker, James J.", ''[[American National Biography]]'', Oxford University Press, February 1, 2000.</ref>

Walker was a member of the [[New York State Assembly]] (New York Co., 5th D.) in [[133rd New York State Legislature|1910]], [[134th New York State Legislature|1911]], [[135th New York State Legislature|1912]], [[136th New York State Legislature|1913]] and [[137th New York State Legislature|1914]]. He was a member of the [[New York State Senate]] from 1915 to 1925, sitting in the [[138th New York State Legislature|138th]], [[139th New York State Legislature|139th]], [[140th New York State Legislature|140th]], [[141st New York State Legislature|141st]] (all four 13th D.), [[142nd New York State Legislature|142nd]], [[143rd New York State Legislature|143rd]], [[144th New York State Legislature|144th]], [[145th New York State Legislature|145th]], [[146th New York State Legislature|146th]], [[147th New York State Legislature|147th]] and [[148th New York State Legislature]]s (all seven 12th D.); and was Minority Leader from 1920 to 1922; Temporary President of the State Senate from 1923 to 1924; and Minority Leader again in 1925. In the Senate he strongly opposed [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]].

[[File:Jimmy Walker, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1924 Democratic National Convention (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Walker and future President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] supported [[Al Smith]] at the [[1924 Democratic National Convention]], but later split politically.]]
During his tenure as Temporary President of the State Senate, Walker was often seen on the floor accompanied by reformist activist, future urban planner, and key [[Al Smith]] ally [[Robert Moses]]. Moses, without an official position and therefore forced to kneel beside Walker's desk rather than sit in a chair, acted sort of as an advisor for Walker. He provided Walker with arguments and facts to be used against Republican adversaries on issues that, according to author [[Robert Caro]], "Walker had no patience to master." Moses also delivered messages to Walker on Governor Smith's behalf.<ref>Caro, Robert (1974. ''The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York''. New York City, NY: Penguin Random House. pp. 136-37. ISBN 9780394720241.</ref>

Walker was elegant and witty, but he was also willing to take down his opponents with no mercy. [[Ellwood M. Rabenold|Ellwood Rabenold]] was a reformist elected to the State Senate as a Democrat. He was independent-minded and put the party's one-vote majority in 1923 in jeopardy. When Rabenold refused to support a bill that Democrats considered vital and then attacked Walker's character, Walker pledged he would "ruin" Rabenold and dedicated the rest of the term to forcing Rabenold out of politics. Walker would eventually succeed, showing no remorse for destroying his career.<ref>Caro, Robert (1974. ''The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York''. New York City, NY: Penguin Random House. pp. 139. ISBN 9780394720241.</ref>

==Running for mayor, 1925==
After his years in the Senate, Walker set his sights on the 1925 election for [[Mayor of New York City|Mayor of New York]]. Beginning with the 1925 Democratic primary for mayor, Walker knew that to ultimately win the mayoral election he had to defeat the mayor, [[John Francis Hylan]]. Walker's reputation as a flamboyant man-about-town made him a hero to many working-class voters; he was often seen at legitimate theaters and illegitimate speakeasies. Walker was a [[Fop|clothes horse]]: his valet packed 43 suits for his trip to Europe in August 1927.<ref>David Wallace, ''Capital of the World: A Portrait of New Your City in the Roaring Twenties'' (2011) p. 11</ref> On the other hand, his reputation for tolerating corruption made him suspect to middle-class and moralistic voters. Governor [[Alfred E. Smith]] was his mentor.<ref name=Connolly /> Smith was a staunch supporter since Walker backed many social and cultural issues that were considered politically important, such as social welfare legislation, legalization of boxing, repeal of [[blue laws]] against Sunday baseball games, and condemning the [[Ku Klux Klan]]. Their mutual opposition to Prohibition was especially important in their political relationship.<ref name=Connolly />

Smith knew the secret to how Walker could win the mayoral race and overcome his tarnished reputation was for Smith to guide Walker's every move. Smith used his base in the strong political machine of [[Tammany Hall]] to secure victory. Finally, Walker himself had to be willing to change some of his more unscrupulous ways or at least provide a cover for his indiscretions. As with many things in Walker's life, he chose the latter. Instead of ending his visits to [[speakeasies]] and his friendships with chorus girls, he took those activities behind the closed doors of a penthouse funded by Tammany Hall.<ref name=Young>Young, Greg. [https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2009/05/mayor-jimmy-walker-finer-class-of.html "Mayor Jimmy Walker: a finer class of corruption"]. ''[[The Bowery Boys: New York City History]]''. Retrieved May 27, 2009.</ref>

Walker defeated Hylan in the Democratic primary, and after defeating [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] mayoral candidate Frank D. Waterman in the [[New York City mayoral elections#1925|general election]] he became mayor of New York.

==Mayor, 1926–1932==
[[File:TIME 11 January 1926 Front Page.jpg|thumb|right|Walker on the cover of [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]], January 11, 1926]]
In his initial years as mayor, Walker saw the city prosper and many public works projects gain traction. In his first year, Walker created the [[New York City Department of Sanitation|Department of Sanitation]], unified New York's public hospitals, improved many parks and playgrounds, and guided the [[New York City Board of Transportation|Board of Transportation]] to enter into contract for the construction of an expanded [[New York City Subway|subway system]] (the [[Independent Subway System]] or IND). Under Walker's administration, new highways and a dock for superliners were also built.<ref>{{cite book|last=Allen|first=Oliver E.|title=The Tiger: The Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall|date=1993|publisher=Addison-Wesley Publishing Company|page=[https://archive.org/details/tigerrisefalloft00alle/page/237 237]|isbn=0-201-62463-X|url=https://archive.org/details/tigerrisefalloft00alle/page/237|url-access=registration}}</ref> He even managed to maintain the five-cent subway fare despite a threatened strike by the workers.<ref name=Young />

[[File:James Walker Lenore Ulric CM629.jpg|thumb|left|Walker throwing a [[ceremonial first pitch]] at a baseball game, c. 1929]]

Walker's term was also known for the proliferation of speakeasies during Prohibition. It is a noted aspect of his career as mayor and as a member of the State Senate that Walker was strongly opposed to Prohibition. As mayor, Walker led his administration in challenging the [[Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Eighteenth Amendment]] by replacing the [[Police Commissioner of the City of New York|police commissioner]] with an inexperienced former state banking commissioner. The new police commissioner immediately dissolved the Special Service Squad. Since Walker did not feel that drinking was a crime, he discouraged the police from enforcing Prohibition law or taking an active role unless it was to curb excessive violations or would prove to be newsworthy.<ref>Michael Lerner, ''Dry Manhattan'' (2008). pp. 160–70</ref> His affairs with "chorus girls" were widely known, and he left his wife, Janet, for showgirl [[Betty Compton]]. The first U.S. arrival in New York City of the best known [[Anastasia Romanov]] impostor, [[Anna Anderson]], in 1928 and the eventual public denial of her by the exiled [[Romanov]]s and return to Germany in 1931 also occurred during Walker's mayoralty.

[[File:Former New York Mayor and Mrs. Walker, callers at White House. Washington, D.C., July 19. "I wouldn't accept the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York City for anything", former Mayor LCCN2016877962 (1).jpg|thumb|Walker and his second wife, [[Betty Compton]], at the [[White House]] in 1937]]

Walker was re-elected by an overwhelming margin in 1929, defeating Republican [[Fiorello La Guardia|Fiorello H. La Guardia]] and [[Socialist Party of America|Socialist]] [[Norman Thomas]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Campaigns - New York City Mayor Race - Nov 05, 1929|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=79429|access-date=2021-12-06|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}</ref> Walker's fortunes turned downward with the economy after the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929|stock-market crash of 1929]]. [[Patrick Joseph Hayes]], the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, denounced him, implying that the immorality of the mayor, both personal and political in tolerating "girlie magazines" and casinos, was a cause of the economic downturn. It was one of the causes that led to Tammany Hall's pulling its support for Walker.<ref name=Jackson>Jackson, Kenneth T., Keller, Lisa; Flood, Nancy, eds. ''The Encyclopedia of New York City'' 2nd ed. Yale University Press, 2010.</ref> Walker's image was further solidified by quotes like "A reformer is a guy who rides through a sewer in a glass-bottomed boat."<ref>Gunther, John, Inside U.S.A., Curtis Publishing Company, 1947, pg. 564</ref>

Walker endorsed [[Al Smith]] for the [[1932 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic nomination]] during the [[1932 United States presidential election|1932 presidential election]].{{sfn|Kessner|1989|p=235}}

==Scandal and resignation==
{{main|Hofstadter Committee}}{{Tone|section|date=September 2024}}
Increasing social unrest led to investigations into corruption within Walker's administration, and he was eventually forced to testify before the investigative committee of Judge [[Samuel Seabury (judge)|Samuel Seabury]], the [[Seabury Commission]] (also known as the Hofstadter Committee). Walker caused his own downfall by accepting large sums of money from businessmen looking for municipal contracts.<ref name="Jackson" />

One surprise witness in the Seabury investigation was Vivian Gordon. She informed the investigators that women were falsely arrested and accused of [[prostitution]] by the [[New York City Police Department]]. Police officers were given more money in their paychecks. After her testimony, Gordon was suspiciously found strangled in a park in the Bronx. The incident demonstrated to New Yorkers that corruption could lead to terrible consequences, and led to suspicion that Walker might ultimately, in some way, have been responsible for her death.<ref name=Golway>Golway, Terry. [http://observer.com/2000/01/the-making-of-fdr-1932-a-rollicking-new-york-tale/ "The Making of F.D.R., 1932: A Rollicking New York Tale"], ''[[The New York Observer]]'', October 1, 2000. Retrieved November 3, 2013.</ref>

With New York City appearing as a symbol of corruption under Mayor Walker, Governor [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] knew he had to do something about Walker and his administration. Knowing that the state constitution could allow an elected mayor to be removed from office, Roosevelt felt compelled to do so but risked losing Tammany Hall's support for the Democratic nomination for president. On the other hand, if Roosevelt did nothing or let Walker off, the national newspapers would consider him weak.<ref name=Golway />

Facing pressure from Roosevelt, Walker eluded questions about his personal bank accounts, stating instead that the amounts he received were "beneficences" and not bribes.<ref name=Connolly /> He delayed any personal appearances until after [[1932 Democratic National Convention|Roosevelt's nomination]] was secured. It was then that the embattled mayor could fight no longer. Months from his [[1932 United States presidential election|national election]], Roosevelt decided that he must remove Walker from office. Walker agreed and resigned on September 1, 1932. 

[[File:Jimmy Walker.JPG|thumb|The grave of Jimmy Walker in [[Gate of Heaven Cemetery]]]]

==Later life and legacy==
Walker went on a grand tour of [[Europe]] with Compton, his [[Ziegfeld girl]].<ref name=Young /> He announced on November 12, 1932, while aboard the [[SS Conte Grande|SS ''Conte Grande'']], that he had "no desire or intention of ever holding public office again."<ref>United Press, "Walker Quits Political Life", ''The San Bernardino Daily Sun'', San Bernardino, California, Sunday 13 November 1932, Volume 39, page 2.</ref> Walker stayed in Europe until the danger of criminal prosecution appeared remote.<ref name=Jackson /> There, he married Compton while in [[Cannes, France]].<ref name="comptonmarriageanddivorce">{{cite news |title=Betty Compton, 2nd Wife Of Jimmie Walker, Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/89700520/ |access-date=September 26, 2024 |work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]] |date=July 13, 1944 |location=Newspapers.com |format=Archive}}</ref>

After his return to the United States, Walker acted as head of [[Majestic Records]], which included such popular performing artists as [[Louis Prima]] and [[Bud Freeman]].<ref name=Connolly /> He and Compton would adopt two children, Mary Ann Walker and James J. Walker.<ref name="comptonmarriageanddivorce" /> In 1940 he had his own radio series on [[WEPN (AM)#WHN (1922–1948)|WHN]], ''Jimmy Walker's Opportunity Hour'', with [[Henry Gladstone]] serving as announcer.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Radio Review: Program Reviews - James J. Walker|author=Ackerman|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=52|issue=11|date=March 16, 1940|page=8}}</ref> The same year, Compton began divorce action against Walker, with the divorce becoming official on March 15, 1941.<ref name="comptonmarriageanddivorce" /> He died on November 18, 1946 at the age of 65 of a brain hemorrhage.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former Mayor Walker Of New York Dies|url=https://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=higjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AGoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2787,2294040&dq=mayor+walker+dies&hl=en|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=November 19, 1946 |access-date=March 17, 2010}}</ref> He was interred in the [[Gate of Heaven Cemetery]] in [[Hawthorne, New York]].

When Walker was a member of the New York State Senate, he sponsored the "Walker Law" to legalize [[boxing]] in New York. He was honored a number of times over the years by the boxing community. Walker is a member of the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] and was given the [[Edward J. Neil Trophy]] in 1945 for his service to the sport.

He also spent many summers in [[Atlantic Beach, New York]], sometimes during his term as mayor, and afterward, for he was friends with its founder, William Austin.

A 1985 survey of historians, political scientists and urban experts conducted by Melvin G. Holli of the [[University of Illinois at Chicago]] ranked Walker as the fourth-worst American big-city mayor to have been in office since 1820. A 1993 edition of the same survey saw Walker similarly ranked as the third-worst.<ref name="worst">{{Cite book | last = Holli | first = Melvin G. | title = The American Mayor | publisher = PSU Press | year = 1999 | location = University Park | url = https://archive.org/details/americanmayorbes0000holl | isbn = 0-271-01876-3  |pages=12 and 184 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
A romanticized version of Walker's tenure as mayor was presented in the 1957 film ''[[Beau James]]'', starring [[Bob Hope]]. This was a somewhat accurate depiction of Walker, who during his time as mayor had become a symbol of the jazz age romanticism.<ref name=Jackson /> The film was based on a biography of Walker, also titled ''Beau James'', written by [[Gene Fowler]]. A song by [[Dean Martin]], similarly titled "Beau James", presented a highly idealized and romantic interpretation of his tenure as mayor. A book was also the basis of ''[[Jimmy (musical)|Jimmy]]'', a stage musical about Walker that had a brief Broadway run from October 1969 to January 1970. The show starred [[Frank Gorshin]] as Walker and [[Anita Gillette]] as Betty Compton.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/jimmy-3300 |title=''Jimmy'' |website=IBDB.com |publisher=[[Internet Broadway Database]]}}</ref> There is also a song about Walker in the stage musical ''[[Fiorello!]]'', "Gentleman Jimmy".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibdb.com/ProductionSongs.aspx?ShowNo=3539&ProdNo=2798 |title=''Fiorello!'': Production Songs |website=IBDB.com |publisher=[[Internet Broadway Database]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807095733/http://ibdb.com/ProductionSongs.aspx?ShowNo=3539&ProdNo=2798 |archive-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of mayors of New York City]]
*[[List of covers of Time magazine (1920s)|List of covers of ''Time'' magazine (1920s)]] – January 11, 1926, May 20, 1929.
*[[New York City mayoral elections]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Works cited==
* {{cite book |last=Kessner |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Kessner |title=Fiorello H. LaGuardia and the Making of Modern New York |publisher=[[McGraw Hill Education]] |date=1989 |url=https://archive.org/details/fiorellohlaguard00kess |isbn=0-07-034244-X}}

==Further reading==
* Mitgang, Herbert. ''Once Upon a Time in New York: Jimmy Walker, Franklin Roosevelt, and the Last Great Battle of the Jazz Age'' (Cooper Square Press, 2000)

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.davidpietrusza.com/tammany-hall-links.html Tammany Hall Links] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211085441/http://www.davidpietrusza.com/tammany-hall-links.html |date=December 11, 2008}}
* {{PM20|FID=pe/018013}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-ny-hs}}
{{s-bef|before = [[John T. Eagleton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[New York State Assembly]]<br />New York County, 5th District|years = 1910–1914}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Maurice McDonald (New York City)|Maurice McDonald]]}}
{{s-par|us-ny-sen}}
{{s-bef|before = [[James D. McClelland]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[New York State Senate]]<br />13th District|years = 1915–1918}}
{{s-aft|after = [[John J. Boylan]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Jacob Koenig]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[New York State Senate]]<br />12th District|years = 1919–1925}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Elmer F. Quinn]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before = [[James A. Foley]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Minority Leader in the [[New York State Senate]]|years = 1920–1922}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Clayton R. Lusk]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Clayton R. Lusk]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[Majority Leader of the New York State Senate|President pro tempore of the New York State Senate]]|years = 1923–1924}}
{{s-aft|after = [[John Knight (judge)|John Knight]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Clayton R. Lusk]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Minority Leader in the [[New York State Senate]]|years = 1925}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Bernard Downing]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[John F. Hylan]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[List of mayors of New York City|Mayor of New York City]]|years = 1926–1932}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Joseph V. McKee]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{MajorityLeaderNYSSenate}}
{{Mayors of New York City}}
{{Democratic NYC mayoral nominees}}
{{Sugar Ray Robinson Award}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:1881 births]]
[[Category:1946 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York)]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Majority leaders of the New York State Senate]]
[[Category:Mayors of New York City]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly]]
[[Category:New York Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party New York (state) state senators]]
[[Category:Songwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Xavier High School (New York City) alumni]]
[[Category:People from Greenwich Village]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:20th-century American songwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in New York (state)]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature]]