View source for William O'Dwyer

{{Short description|Irish-American politician and diplomat (1890–1964)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name            = William O'Dwyer
|image           = Head shot of Mayor O'Dwyer Edit.jpg
|caption         = O'Dwyer in 1945
|order2          = [[Kings County District Attorney]]
|term_start2     = January 1, 1940
|term_end2       = August 1, 1945
|predecessor2    = William F.X. Geoghan
|successor2      = George J. Beldock
|office1         = 100th [[Mayor of New York City]]
|term_start1     = January 1, 1946
|term_end1       = August 31, 1950
|predecessor1    = [[Fiorello H. La Guardia]]
|successor1      = [[Vincent R. Impellitteri]]
|office3         = [[United States Ambassador to Mexico]]
|appointer3      = [[Harry S. Truman]]
|term_start3     = November 23, 1950
|term_end3       = December 6, 1952
|predecessor3    = [[Walter C. Thurston]]
|successor3      = [[Francis White (diplomat)|Francis White]]
|birth_date      = {{birth date|1890|7|11}}
|birth_place     = [[Bohola]], [[County Mayo]], Ireland
|death_date      = {{death date and age|1964|11|24|1890|7|11}}
|death_place     = [[New York City]], U.S.
|party           = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|alma_mater      = [[Fordham University Law School]]
|profession      = Attorney
|spouse          = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Catherine Lenihan<br />|August 3, 1916|October 12, 1946|reason=died}}|{{marriage|[[Sloan Simpson]]<br />|December 20, 1949|1953|end=divorced}}}}
|relations       = [[Paul O'Dwyer]] (brother)<br/>[[Brian O'Dwyer]] (nephew)<br/>[[Frank Durkan]] (nephew)
|allegiance      = {{flag|United States}}
|branch          = {{flag|United States Army}}
|serviceyears    = 1942–1945
|rank            = [[File:US Army O7 shoulderboard rotated.svg|60px]] [[Brigadier General (United States)|Brigadier General]]
|battles         = [[World War II]]
|mawards         = [[Legion of Merit]]
}}

'''William O'Dwyer''' (July 11, 1890{{spaced ndash}}November 24, 1964) was an [[Irish Americans|Irish American]] attorney and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] politician who served as the 100th [[Mayor of New York City]] from 1946 to 1950,<ref>[http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/features/greenbook_mayors.shtml "The Green Book: Mayors of the City of New York"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514024824/http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/features/greenbook_mayors.shtml |date=May 14, 2012 }} on the official NYC website</ref> when he resigned under the cloud of multiple investigations into corruption in the [[New York City Police Department]]. He also served as [[Brooklyn District Attorney]] from 1940 to 1945 and [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Mexico|United States Ambassador to Mexico]] from 1950 to 1952.

==Early life==
[[File:Magistrate O'Dwyer, When he was one of 'The Finest'.jpg|thumb|left|O'Dwyer as a member of the [[New York City Police Department]] {{circa}} 1917–1924]]
O'Dwyer was born in [[Bohola]], [[County Mayo]], Ireland and studied at [[St. Nathys College]], [[Ballaghaderreen]], [[County Roscommon]].  In 1907, O'Dwyer began to study for the priesthood at the [[Pontifical University of Salamanca]], a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] seminary in Spain,<ref name="Devine">{{cite book |url=https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-0700221 |title=Biography: O'Dwyer, William (11 July 1890–24 November 1964) |last=Devine |first=Thomas W. |date=2019 |series=American National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0700221 |isbn=978-0-19-860669-7 |access-date=September 9, 2019}}</ref> where he became fluent in [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lehman |first=Herbert H. |date=September 18, 1950 |title=Congressional Record:U.S. Senate; Nomination of William O'Dwyer to be U.S. Ambassador to Mexico |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1950-pt11/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1950-pt11-8-1.pdf |location=Washington, DC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=14998 |author-link=Herbert H. Lehman}}</ref>  He later decided not to join the clergy, and emigrated to the United States in 1910.<ref name="Devine"/> He sailed to New York as a steerage passenger on board the liner ''Philadelphia'' and was inspected at Ellis Island on June 27, 1910. 

O'Dwyer first worked as a laborer, then as a [[New York City police]] officer, while studying law at night at [[Fordham University Law School]]. He received his degree in 1923 and then built up a successful practice before serving as a Kings County ([[Brooklyn]]) Court judge. He won election as the [[Kings County District Attorney]] in November 1939<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hagerty|first1=James A.|title=Goldstein Winner – Schurman and Other La Guardia Choices Trail in Returns –O'Dwyer New Prosecutor – Organization Elects 9 Supreme Court Justices – Council Vote Count Begins Today|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/11/08/112722819.html?pageNumber=1|access-date=21 October 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=November 8, 1939|page=1}}</ref> and his prosecution of the organized crime syndicate known as [[Murder, Inc.]] made him a national celebrity.

After losing the mayoral election to [[Fiorello La Guardia]] in 1941, O'Dwyer joined the [[United States Army]] for [[World War II]], achieving the rank of [[brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] as a member of the Allied Commission for Italy and executive director of the [[War Refugee Board]], for which he received the [[Legion of Merit]].<ref>Ralph J. Caliendo, [https://books.google.com/books?id=WN90SSAJ4JMC&pg=PA90 ''New York City Mayors: Part II: the Mayors of Greater New York From 1898''], 2010, p. 90</ref> During that time, he was on leave from his elected position as district attorney and replaced by his chief assistant, [[Thomas Cradock Hughes]], and was re-elected in November 1943.

==Mayor of New York City==
[[File:David Dubinsky and Mayor William O'Dwyer (at right) shake hands while William Green (center) looks on, 1947. (5278798513).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|O'Dwyer (right) shakes hands with [[International Ladies Garment Workers Union]] President [[David Dubinsky]] (left) as [[American Federation of Labor]] President [[William Green (U.S. labor leader)|William Green]] looks on, 1947]]
In 1945, O'Dwyer received the support of [[Tammany Hall]] leader Edward V. Loughlin, won the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]ic nomination, and then easily won the [[1945 New York City mayoral election|mayoral election]]. At his inauguration, O'Dwyer celebrated to the song, "It's a Great Day for the Irish", and addressed the 700 people gathered in Council Chambers at [[New York City Hall|City Hall]]: "It is our high purpose to devote our whole time, our whole energy to do good work...." He established the Office of City Construction Coordinator, appointing [[New York City Parks Commissioner|Park Commissioner]] [[Robert Moses]] to the post, worked to have the permanent home of the [[United Nations]] located in Manhattan, presided over the first billion-dollar New York City budget, created a traffic department and raised the [[New York City Subway|subway]] fare from five cents to ten cents. In 1948, O'Dwyer received [[The Hundred Year Association of New York]]'s Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York." In 1948, he received the epithets "Whirling Willie" and "Flip-Flop Willie" from U.S. Representative [[Vito Marcantonio]] of the opposition [[American Labor Party]] while the latter was campaigning for [[Henry A. Wallace]].<ref>{{cite news
|first=James A.|last=Hagerty|title=48,000 Hear Wallace Assert Prejudice Will Fail in South|newspaper=New York Times|page=1|date=11 September 1948|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/09/11/archives/48000-hear-wallace-assert-prejudice-will-fail-in-south-progressive.html|access-date=28 November 2017}}</ref>

Shortly after his re-election to the mayoralty in 1949, O'Dwyer was confronted with a police corruption scandal uncovered by the [[Kings County District Attorney]], Miles McDonald. O'Dwyer resigned from office on August 31, 1950. Upon his resignation, he was given a ticker tape parade up Broadway's [[Canyon of Heroes]] in the borough of Manhattan. President [[Harry Truman]] appointed him [[U.S. Ambassador to Mexico]]. He returned to [[New York City]] in 1951 to answer questions concerning his association with organized crime figures and the accusations followed him for the rest of his life. He resigned as ambassador on December 6, 1952, but remained in Mexico until 1960.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of New York |url=http://home.nyc.gov/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html#o'dwyer |title=William O'Dwyer, 100th Mayor, 1946–1950 (1890–1964) |access-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807093732/http://home.nyc.gov/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html#o'dwyer#o'dwyer |archive-date=August 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

He helped organize the first Israel Day Parade,<ref>Jewish Telegraphic Agency, [http://archive.jta.org/article/1949/05/05/3018950/150000-cheer-jewish-state-at-new-york-celebration-of-israeli-independence-day "150,000 Cheer Jewish State at New York Celebration of Israeli Independence Day"], republished on ''Jewish News Archive'', original story May 5, 1949 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811175032/http://archive.jta.org/article/1949/05/05/3018950/150000-cheer-jewish-state-at-new-york-celebration-of-israeli-independence-day |date=August 11, 2011 }}</ref> along with New York's Jewish community.

==Death==
O'Dwyer died in New York City on November 24, 1964, in [[Mount Sinai Beth Israel|Beth Israel Hospital]], aged 74, from heart failure.<ref>[http://www.con-telegraph.ie/history/mayo-history/324-remarkable-story-of-the-odwyer-family The remarkable History of the O'Dwyer Family] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927010848/http://www.con-telegraph.ie/history/mayo-history/324-remarkable-story-of-the-odwyer-family |date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=William O'Dwyer profile |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B06E5DF1F3FEE32A25756C2A9679D946591D6CF |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=36 |date=November 25, 1964 |access-date=2010-03-17}}{{subscription required}}</ref> His funeral mass was held at [[St. Patrick's Cathedral (Manhattan)|St. Patrick's Cathedral]] on November 27,<ref>{{cite news |date=November 26, 1964 |title=Death Notices: William O'Dwyer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/460076374/ |work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]] |location=New York, NY |page=72 |url-access=subscription |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and he was interred at [[Arlington National Cemetery]], Section 2, Grave 889-A-RH.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/#/ |title=Burial Information, William O'Dwyer |website=Arlington National Cemetery |publisher=Headquarters, Department of the Army |location=Arlington, VA |access-date=November 23, 2017 |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722175730/http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/#/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Family==
In 1916, O'Dwyer married Catherine Lenihan, whom he met while he was working as a bartender at the [[4 Park Avenue|Vanderbilt Hotel]]<ref>{{cite book |last=DeStefano |first=Anthony M. |date=2018 |title=Top Hoodlum: Frank Costello, Prime Minister of the Mafia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_PU3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT235 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Citadel Press |page=235 |isbn=978-0-8065-3871-6}}</ref> and she was employed as one of the Vanderbilt's telephone switchboard operators.<ref name="Devine"/>  They had no children, and she was in ill health for many years before her death in 1946.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 14, 1946 |title=President, Leaders Send Condolences to O'Dwyer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/55026695/ |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle]] |location=Brooklyn, NY |page=9 |url-access=subscription |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  Her funeral was originally planned for [[St. Joseph Church, Yorkville (Manhattan)|St. Joseph's Church]] in the [[Yorkville, Manhattan|Yorkville]] neighborhood of Manhattan, where she and her husband were members.<ref name="Mrs._O'Dwyer">{{cite news |date=October 14, 1946 |title=Obituary, Mrs. William O'Dwyer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/444869768/ |work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]] |location=New York, NY |page=30 |url-access=subscription |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  The large number of attendees resulted in a move to St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the service was presided over by Cardinal [[Francis Spellman]].<ref name="Mrs._O'Dwyer"/>

On December 20, 1949, O'Dwyer married [[Sloan Simpson|Elizabeth Sloan Simpson]] at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in [[Stuart, Florida]].<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=December 20, 1949 |title=Sky Arched by Rainbow as Couple Takes Vows |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/279935593/ |work=[[Star-Gazette]] |location=Elmira, NY |page=1 |url-access=subscription |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  They divorced in 1953,<ref>{{cite news |last=Valery |first=Bernard |date=June 7, 1953 |title=A Toreador in Her Life? Lot of Bull, Says Sloan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/451443591/ |work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]] |location=New York, NY |pages=3, 90–91 |url-access=subscription |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> but remained close, and Simpson attended O'Dwyer's funeral in 1964.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 25, 1964 |title=Sloan Here for Funeral |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/459998275/ |work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]] |location=New York, NY |page=2 |url-access=subscription |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

His brother [[Paul O'Dwyer]] served as President of the City Council from 1973 to 1977, and his nephew [[Brian O'Dwyer]] was appointed chair of the [[New York State Gaming Commission]] in 2022.

==See also==
*[[List of mayors of New York City]]
*[[New York City tugboat strike of 1946]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
*[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgdPJ0R3eWVyEgdXaWxsaWFt/ Arlington National Cemetery]

{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[William F.X. Geoghan]]
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[Kings County District Attorney]]
| years = 1940–1945
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[George J. Beldock]]
}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Jeremiah T. Mahoney]]
}} 
{{s-ttl
| title = [[List of mayors of New York City|Democratic Nominee for Mayor of New York City]]
| years = [[1941 New York City mayoral election|1941]], [[1945 New York City mayoral election|1945]], [[1949 New York City mayoral election|1949]]
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[Ferdinand Pecora]]
}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Fiorello H. La Guardia]]
}} 
{{s-ttl
| title = [[List of mayors of New York City|Mayor of New York City]]
| years = 1946–1950
}} 
{{s-aft
| after = [[Vincent R. Impellitteri]]
}}
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Walter C. Thurston]]
}} 
{{s-ttl
| title = [[United States Ambassador to Mexico]]
| years = 1950–1952
}} 
{{s-aft
| after = [[Francis White (diplomat)|Francis White]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Mayors of New York City}}
{{Democratic NYC mayoral nominees}}
{{US Ambassadors to Mexico}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odwyer, William}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish people]]
[[Category:Politicians from County Mayo]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Mexico]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:American Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Kings County district attorneys]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mayors of New York City]]
[[Category:New York (state) Democrats]]
[[Category:New York (state) lawyers]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:United States Army generals]]
[[Category:20th-century American lawyers]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in New York (state)]]
[[Category:People educated at St Nathy's College]]
[[Category:People from Bohola]]
[[Category:Lawyers from County Mayo]]