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New York Law School was founded in 1891. Since the inception of the institution a vast number of graduates have gone on to do extraordinary things. This page will highlight some of those individuals. We hope you find the information interesting and enlightening. John Purroy Mitchel At thirty-five years old, John Purroy Mitchel was the youngest person ever to be elected Mayor of New York City, a distinction that earned him the nickname, "Boy Mayor." A graduate of Columbia University and New York Law School, Mitchel held numerous government posts after being admitted to the bar. While city Commissioner of Accounts, Mitchel uncovered a protection racket in the Police Department and conducted investigations that forced the ouster of two borough presidents, and prompted another to flee the continent. Elected President of the Board of Alderman in 1909, Mitchel is credited with drafting the city's first comprehensive budget, with a full accounting of all of the city's resources. In 1913, he dealt a crushing blow to Tammany Hall, winning the mayoral election on a fusion ticket by a large plurality. His inauguration speech was unique in that he did not make bold pledges to reinvent government. Instead, he placed a three month moratorium on any public pronouncements by anyone in his administration: "We will develop our program slowly. It will not be necessary for us to go to the people of the city every day and tell them what we propose to do. It will be better for us to wait a little while and then to go to them and tell them what we are doing or have done." Mitchel's waste-cutting measures and accounting practices earned the city national acclaim. He brought into the administration competent professionals and devised a zoning plan to govern city development — the first such plan in the nation. He also standardized salary and work requirements for city employees. Despite Mitchel's notable accomplishments, he was not reelected. In 1918, he enlisted in the Army Air Service to be trained as a pilot in World War I. His life was cut short while on final training in Louisiana, when his plane plummeted 500 feet to the ground on July 6, 1918. A few days shy of his 39th birthday, Mitchel was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.The above excerpt is from: http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html John F. Hylan Truly a self-made man, Hylan grew up a poor farm boy with limited education who, at 19, came to New York City with $4.50 in his pocket. He performed various odd jobs, including operating a steam locomotive for the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad, and he secured a patent for a bicycle whistle. He graduated from New York Law School in 1897 and became active in politics. Hylan successfully engineered a constitutional amendment in the state legislature to create two new Brooklyn judgeships — and a job for himself. In 1917, Hylan ran for mayor on the Tammany Hall ticket, overwhelmingly defeating John Purroy Mitchel. He delivered a simple speech during his inauguration, an affair devoted to dispensing patronage evenly between his Brooklyn supporters and Tammany Hall. On his first day in office, Hylan charged his appointees "to make the world yearn for Democracy" by following his "Rules for City Employees." He declared: "[City workers] must not roll in city automobiles with cigars in their mouths...[or] be conspicuous at baseball games when they should be in their offices." Dubbed "Honest John" by his supporters, Hylan never strayed far from the will of Tammany Hall. He devoted much of his term to transit issues and was reelected based on his opposition to a state plan that would have increased the five cent subway fare. He also was a strong advocate for New York City home rule. Hylan ran for a third term, but lost the primary to James Walker and ran again in 1932, only to withdraw his candidacy. He died of a heart attack at his home in Forest Hills on January 12, 1936.The above excerpt is from: http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html Robert F. Wagner
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