John F. Hylan
| John Francis Hylan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | April 20, 1868 Hunter, New York |
| Died | January 12, 1936 (aged 67) Forest Hills, New York |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Residence | Bushwick, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | New York Law School (1897) |
| Net worth | $5,000 (1936) |
| Title | 96th Mayor of New York City |
| Term | 1918-1925 |
| Predecessor | John Purroy Mitchel |
| Successor | James J. Walker |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Marian née O'Hara Hylan |
| Children | Virginia Hylan Sinnot |
John Francis Hylan (April 20, 1868 – January 12, 1936), was the 96th Mayor of New York City (the seventh since the consolidation of the five boroughs), from 1918 to 1925. From rural beginnings in the Catskills, Hylan eventually obtained work in Brooklyn as a laborer on the elevated railroad. During his nine years with the company, he worked his way to engineer, and also studied to earn his high school diploma then his law degree. He practiced law for nine years and also participated in local Democratic politics.
In 1917 with the consent of Tammany and William Randolph Hearst, he was put forward as a Brooklyn Democratic candidate for Mayor and won the first of two terms. He was re-elected with a wide plurality, which swept many Brooklyn Democrats into office. His chief focus in office was to keep subway fares from rising. By the end of his second term, however, a report by a committee appointed by Governor Al Smith severely criticized his administration's handling of the subway system. Tammany ran Jimmy Walker against him for the Democratic nomination and Hylan lost. Walker appointed him to the Children's Court where he sat for many years. After his term as mayor, Hylan spent much time attacking the "interests," arguing that industrial concentration gave great power to individuals to influence politics and impoverish the working poor.
Hylan was born in 1868 in Hunter, New York, a town in upstate Greene County. He was the third child, and had two older sisters and two younger brothers. Hylan's father had emigrated from County of Cavan, Ulster, Ireland at the age of seven. He served as a corporal in the 120th New York Infantry, called the "Ulster Regiment," during the Civil War. Hylan's mother, who came from the Jones family upstate, had a Welsh father and a maternal grandfather, Jacob Gadron, who fought in the American Revolution among Lafayette's forces. He fondly remembered her throughout his life and wrote that the words she spoke on leaving the family ("Be honest, be truthful, be upright, and do by others as you would have them do unto you") were "indelibly imprinted on" his memory. Although his mother was Methodist, Hylan was raised a Catholic. His only surviving family, his sister Mary, died after being struck by an automobile on July 10, 1911.
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