Abram Hewitt

Abram Stevens Hewitt ( born July 31, 1822 in Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York, † January 18, 1903 in New York City ) was an American politician and entrepreneur. Between 1875 and 1886 he represented two-time New York State in the U.S. House of Representatives. From 1887 to 1888 he held the office of mayor of New York.

Career

Abram Hewitt attended the public schools in New York City. In 1842 he graduated from the local Columbia College, later Columbia University. Subsequently, he taught as a teacher, the subject of mathematics. After studying law and his 1845 was admitted as a lawyer, he began to work in this profession. Then he started together with his father Peter Cooper (1791-1883) to work in the iron industry. They founded iron works, among others, in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Hewitt was also active in other divisions and board member of various companies. He was also involved in the construction of the school Cooper Union. Until his death he was chairman of the board of trustees of this institution. In 1867 he was part of a U.S. delegation that participated in the World Exhibition in Paris. Then he wrote a report on his findings gained there for iron and steel processing. This report was published in Congress.

Politically, Hewitt joined the Democratic Party. He fought in the early 1870s, the corrupt Tammany Hall organization, which controlled the city of New York and the local Democratic party until then. Hewitt helped to rebuild his party after the conviction of William Tweed, the former head of Tammany Hall. For some years it was possible to reduce the influence of this organization. In the years 1876 and 1877 Hewitt was as follower of Samuel J. Tilden, who ran for the presidency, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

In the congressional elections of 1874 Hewitt was in the tenth electoral district of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of Fernando Wood on March 4, 1875. After a re-election he was able to complete in Congress until March 3, 1879 two legislative sessions. In 1878 he abandoned a bid again. In the elections of 1880 he was again elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he replaced James O'Brien on March 4, 1881 which was two years before there become his successor. After two re- elections he could remain until his resignation on December 30, 1886 in Congress. During this time, the Brooklyn Bridge was opened in 1883. On this occasion, Hewitt gave his most famous speech.

Hewitt's resignation took place after his election as Mayor of the City of New York. One of his former rival candidate was the future President Theodore Roosevelt. He was holding office as the successor to William Russell Grace by 1887. Until 1888 His tenure was not very successful, which was also the resurgence of Tammany Hall. However, the planning and financing of urban subway was completed in its time. Therefore Hewitt is sometimes referred to as the father of the New York subway system. In the following years he expanded his private business activities further. In 1900 he became a member of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission; since 1901 he was curator of the Columbia University. Abram Hewitt died on January 18, 1903 in New York City, where he was also buried.

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