Joseph V. McKee

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Joseph V. McKee (1889-1956) was originally a teacher at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, New York, but later became a politically active Democrat.

McKee served as a New York State Assemblyman for the 7th Assembly District (Bronx County) from 1918 to 1923, and was a Municipal Judge from 1924 to 1926. In 1926, he was tapped to serve as President of the New York City Board of Aldermen with James J. Walker as Mayor.

McKee was appointed Acting Mayor of New York City after the resignation of Mayor Walker on September 1, 1932. Walker, who resigned amid scandal and the threat of a criminal indictment, subsequently fled to Europe until the danger of prosecution appeared remote.

McKee, who was sometimes mockingly referred to as "Holy Joe", running as a write-in candidate, lost a special election to John P. O'Brien in November 1932 to fill out the rest of Walker's unexpired term as Mayor. His four month term as Acting Mayor of New York City ended on December 31, 1932.

In November 1933, McKee ran for Mayor as the Recovery Party candidate against Democratic Mayor John P. O'Brien and Republican-City Fusion Party candidate Fiorello H. La Guardia, but lost to La Guardia. He served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from New York in 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944.

McKee died in 1956 and was interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York, which interestingly is also the final resting place of both his predecessor (Walker) and his successor (O'Brien) as Mayor.

Mayors of New York City (since 1834)

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