Robert Anderson Van Wyck
Robert Anderson Van Wyck ( born July 20, 1849 in New York City; † November 14, 1918 in Paris) was an American jurist and the first mayor of New York City to merging the five boroughs in 1898.
Early years
Robert Anderson Van Wyck was born in 1849 on the estate of his family, the son of the lawyer William Van Wyck; his younger brother Augustus also embarked on a career as a lawyer and politician. At the age of about ten years he interrupted his schooling from first and earned his living as a delivery boy. After working in the port for five years in a shop in the city, he took his training again and was able to successfully complete his 1872 Law studies at Columbia College, Columbia University. After qualifying as a lawyer in the same year he began to work in this profession.
Political career
Tammany Hall
In addition to his legal practice Van Wyck quickly came into contact with the Tammany Hall, where he - quickly gained popularity - after a temporary departure from the organization because of differences with John Kelly. In 1889 he was finally judge in the City Court in New York and was elected Chief Justice six years later. In 1897 he put this post down, however, to present themselves as democratic candidate elected Mayor of the city, which he won with a majority of more than 86,000 votes. With the acquisition of official duties no celebrations were held and Van Wyck held, unusually, no question.
Mayor of New York
The policy during his tenure 1898-1901 can be regarded as controversial, as Van Wyck was dictating as a member of Tammany Hall whose policies without being active themselves. So he had to justify, for example, how he stood by the occupation of the offices under the influence of Tammany Hall leader Richard Croker. First among the citizens popular because he reversed made unpopular reforms of his predecessors and, for example -actuated broke ground to build the New York subway, his political career was the so-called Ice Trust scandal basis.
The trust of the American Ice Company in 1899 newly founded planned, prices for ice cream for business customers of $ 0.15 to $ 0.25 per 100 pounds for Consumers and even to increase from $ 0.25 to $ 0.65. Since the American Ice Company is the sole supplier of ice cream in New York City was, this led to great public resistance because ice at this time the only way was to keep food and medicines fresh. In the course of investigations around the scandal became clear that Tammany Hall members were shareholders of the Trust. In a list published in June 1900 and Mayor Van Wyck was listed as the owner of shares, worth about $ 680,000. In addition to that Van Wyck had taken care of by rejecting a bill that no other Eisunternehmen in the port of New York was allowed to enter. Theodore Roosevelt, the governor of New York, dismissed Van Wyck not his, but instead called for a strengthening of the anti -trust legislation. At the next election for mayor in 1901, eventually winning Seth Low, with a majority of over 33,000 votes.
Old age and death
After his tenure Van Wyck ended his political career. He married Kate E. Hertle and moved to Paris, where he died on 14 November 1918.