William Sulzer
| William Sulzer | |
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| 39th Governor of New York | |
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In office January 1, 1913 – October 17, 1913 |
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| Lieutenant | Martin H. Glynn |
| Preceded by | John Alden Dix |
| Succeeded by | Martin H. Glynn |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 10th district |
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In office March 4, 1903 – December 31, 1912 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Swann |
| Succeeded by | Herman A. Metz |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 11th district |
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In office March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903 |
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| Preceded by | Amos J. Cummings |
| Succeeded by | William Randolph Hearst |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the New York County 10th district |
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In office January 1, 1893 – December 31, 1894 |
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| Preceded by | William Sohmer |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Kunzenman |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the New York County 14th district |
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In office January 1, 1890 – December 31, 1892 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas J. Creamer |
| Succeeded by | Daniel F. Martin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 18, 1863 Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| Died | November 6, 1941 (aged 78) New York City |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
William Sulzer (March 18, 1863 – November 6, 1941) was an American lawyer and politician, nicknamed Plain Bill Sulzer. He was the 39th Governor of New York and a long-serving congressman from the same state. He was the first and so far only New York governor to be impeached. He broke with his sponsors at Tammany Hall, and they produced convincing evidence that Sulzer had falsified his sworn statement of campaign expenditures.
William Sulzer was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on March 18, 1863, the son of Thomas Sulzer, who was German born, and Mary Cooney of Ireland.He was the second in a family of eight children. He was reared on is family farm and attended the public schools in or near Elizabeth, New Jersey. At age 12 he left home and sailed as a cabin boy aboard a brig, the William H. Thompson. He returned to the family home a year later and became a clerk in a grocery store.
Sulzer took night classes at Cooper Union before attending and graduating from Columbia College. Then he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1884, and commenced practice in New York City. Even before beginning his law practice he was a member of Tammany Hall political machine serving as a popular stump speaker.
He was married to Clara Rodelheim in 1908.
Sulzer's career in politics began in 1884 when he worked for the Tammany Hall political machine on New York's East Side as a stump speaker for various Democratic campaigns including the presidential campaign of then-Governor Grover Cleveland
Sulzer was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1890, 1891, 1892 (all three New York Co., 14th D.), 1893 and 1894 (both New York Co., 10th D.). His participation in the machine helped assure that he was appointed to the Committee on General Laws in his first term. During his time in the Assembly he introduced bills seeking to abolish debtors' prisons, and to limit hours for workers. His popularity and loyalty to Tammany machine were such that in 1893, Tammany Boss Richard Croker selected Sulzer to be elected as Speaker of the New York State Assembly. The term was noted as being highly corrupt and highly partisan, as the Democratic machine dominated all committees, and with them the state budget. Sulzer himself declared during the term "[A]ll legislation came from Tammany Hall and was dictated by that great statesmen, Richard Croker."
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