George U. Harvey
George U. Harvey | |
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7th James A. Burke | |
Personal details | |
Born | U.S. | August 15, 1881
Political party | Republican |
George U. Harvey (August 15, 1881 – April 6, 1946) was a Republican politician from Queens, New York City and served as its borough president for twelve years.
Biography
Harvey was born in County Galway, Ireland but emigrated with his family to the United States when he was five years old.[1] His father was wealthy[2] and published a trade magazine, International Trade Confectioner.[1] After studying at Coleraine College in Ireland,[2] Harvey returned to the United States to work as a photojournalist for the journals of the Army and Navy, and then as publisher of his father's journal.[1]
Harvey was commissioned as a Captain in the US Army on May 12, 1917.
Following the war, Harvey returned to Queens and began his political career. In 1921 he was elected as a Republican to the Queens County Board of Aldermen and served there for four terms.
In 1928, Harvey demanded an investigation into allegations of graft made against borough president Maurice E. Connolly, an ally of Tammany Hall. Connolly was forced to resign as a result of the investigation, and after the brief interim appointment of Bernard M. Patten, Harvey won election to the office of borough president later that year. Harvey was the first Republican to hold the office.[2]
Harvey oversaw many infrastructure improvements during his tenure, and played a critical role in bringing the
Harvey lost to Democrat
References
- ^ a b c d e f "George U. Harvey Playground". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. October 1, 1997. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
- ^ a b c "A Look at the Political Past: Queens Borough Presidents from Frederick Bowley (1898) to Pat Clancy (1962)" (PDF). Central Queens Historical Association. May 2, 1996. Retrieved October 28, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "2,000 Men Added to Reserve Corps". The New York Times. May 20, 1917. Retrieved October 28, 2009.