George X. Schwartz
| George X. Schwartz | |
|---|---|
| President of the Philadelphia City Council | |
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In office January 3, 1972 – May 29, 1980 |
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| Preceded by | Paul D'Ortona |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Coleman |
| Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 4th District | |
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In office January 4, 1960 – June 1, 1980 |
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| Preceded by | Sammy Rose |
| Succeeded by | Ann Land |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Philadelphia County district |
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In office January 1, 1957 – January 4, 1960 |
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In office January 6, 1953 – November 30, 1954 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 28, 1915 New York, New York |
| Died | March 26, 2010 (aged 95) Philadelphia Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jerre |
| Children | Three |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
George X. Schwartz (January 28, 1915 – March 26, 2010) was a Democratic politician who served as a member of the Philadelphia City Council for two decades.
Though he was born in New York City, Schwartz grew-up in West Philadelphia, the son of a successful real estate broker. He graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1932, earned an undergraduate degree from Temple University in 1936, and graduated from Temple Law School in 1940.
He made his first foray into politics in 1952, when he was elected to one of Philadelphia County's allotted at-large seats in the Pennsylvania State House. However, he was not re-elected as a member of the county's delegation two years later. He was able to regain a seat in the 1956 election, with the help of Democratic City Committee Chairman and Congressman Bill Green, Jr.
Schwartz was elected to Philadelphia City Council in 1959, winning the open Fourth District seat, once again with the help and encouragement of Green. The district had previously been represented by Samuel "Sammy" Rose, a Democrat and part-time boxing promoter who had died of complications from a heart attack earlier that year. He was elected Council President in 1972, when Paul D'Ortona announced he would not seek re-election to the position. Schwartz's tenure as President was marked by an active and ironfisted rule. He set the course of virtually every piece of legislation, dominated the Council's Democratic caucus, and controlled most of the political patronage. He would also occasionally clash with Mayor Frank Rizzo, who was also noted for his domineering personality. Perhaps most notably, when Schwartz refused to join Rizzo in opposing Arlen Specter's 1973 bid for a third term as District Attorney, Rizzo ordered his Police Commissioner to form a special hand-picked 34-member police squad to spy on Schwartz. He would come to be known by the nickname "the silver fox" while he was serving on Council, due to his graying hair, distinguished figure and political clout.
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