James J. Walker

Walker was the son of Irish-born William H. Walker (1842–1916), a carpenter and lumberyard owner who was very active in local politics as a Democratic assemblyman and alderman from Greenwich Village, belying certain accounts of Walker's childhood that stated he grew up in poverty.

James John Walker (June 19, 1881 – November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932.

A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine.

He was forced to resign during a corruption scandal.

Walker was not the best student and dropped out of college, eventually graduating from New York Law School in 1904.

Walker's father wanted him to become a lawyer and politician, but he decided that he would rather write songs and be involved in the music industry.

He wrote the lyrics for a 1906 hit, "Will You Love Me in December as You Do in May?"

with songwriter Ernest Ball.

Walker entered politics in 1909 and subsequently passed the bar exam in 1912.

Walker was a member of the New York State Assembly (New York Co., 5th D.) in 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914.

He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1915 to 1925, sitting in the 138th, 139th, 140th, 141st (all four 13th D.), 142nd, 143rd, 144th, 145th, 146th, 147th and 148th New York State Legislatures (all seven 12th D.); and was Minority Leader from 1920 to 1922; Temporary President of the State Senate from 1923 to 1924; and Minority Leader again in 1925.

In the Senate he strongly opposed Prohibition.

During his tenure as Temporary President of the State Senate, Walker was often seen on the floor accompanied by reformist activist, future urban planner, and key Al Smith ally Robert Moses.

Moses, without an official position and therefore forced to kneel beside Walker's desk rather than sit in a chair, acted sort of as an advisor for Walker.

He provided Walker with arguments and facts to be used against Republican adversaries on issues that, according to author Robert Caro, "Walker had no patience to master."

Moses also delivered messages to Walker on Governor Smith's behalf.

Walker was elegant and witty, but he was also willing to take down his opponents with no mercy.

Ellwood Rabenold was a reformist elected to the State Senate as a Democrat.

He was independent-minded and put the party's one-vote majority in 1923 in jeopardy.

When Rabenold refused to support a bill that Democrats considered vital and then attacked Walker's character, Walker pledged he would "ruin" Rabenold and dedicated the rest of the term to forcing Rabenold out of politics.

Walker would eventually succeed, showing no remorse for destroying his career.

After his years in the Senate, Walker set his sights on the 1925 election for Mayor of New York.

Beginning with the 1925 Democratic primary for mayor, Walker knew that to ultimately win the mayoral election he had to defeat the mayor, John Francis Hylan.

Walker's reputation as a flamboyant man-about-town made him a hero to many working-class voters; he was often seen at legitimate theaters and illegitimate speakeasies.

Walker was a clothes horse: his valet packed 43 suits for his trip to Europe in August 1927.

On the other hand, his reputation for tolerating corruption made him suspect to middle-class and moralistic voters.

Governor Alfred E. Smith was his mentor.

Smith was a staunch supporter since Walker backed many social and cultural issues that were considered politically important, such as social welfare legislation, legalization of boxing, repeal of blue laws against Sunday baseball games, and condemning the Ku Klux Klan.

Their mutual opposition to Prohibition was especially important in their political relationship.

Smith knew the secret to how Walker could win the mayoral race and overcome his tarnished reputation was for Smith to guide Walker's every move.

Smith used his base in the strong political machine of Tammany Hall to secure victory.

Finally, Walker himself had to be willing to change some of his more unscrupulous ways or at least provide a cover for his indiscretions.

As with many things in Walker's life, he chose the latter.

Instead of ending his visits to speakeasies and his friendships with chorus girls, he took those activities behind the closed doors of a penthouse funded by Tammany Hall.

Walker defeated Hylan in the Democratic primary, and after defeating Republican mayoral candidate Frank D. Waterman in the general election he became mayor of New York.

In his initial years as mayor, Walker saw the city prosper and many public works projects gain traction.

In his first year, Walker created the Department of Sanitation, unified New York's public hospitals, improved many parks and playgrounds, and guided the Board of Transportation to enter into contract for the construction of an expanded subway system (the Independent Subway System or IND).

Under Walker's administration, new highways and a dock for superliners were also built.

He even managed to maintain the five-cent subway fare despite a threatened strike by the workers.

Walker's term was also known for the proliferation of speakeasies during Prohibition.