Joseph V. McKee

Joseph V. McKee
Acting Mayor of New York City[1]
In office
September 1, 1932 – December 31, 1932
Preceded by James J. Walker
Succeeded by John P. O'Brien
Personal details
Born August 8, 1889
Bronx, New York
Died January 28, 1956 (aged 66)
New York, New York
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Cornelia Kraft
Children Joseph V. McKee, Jr.
Religion Roman Catholic

Joseph V. McKee, Sr. (August 8, 1889 – January 28, 1956) was originally a teacher at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, New York, but later became a politically active Democrat and briefly served as the Mayor of New York City.[2]

Life and career

McKee married Cornelia Kraft on November 27, 1918.[3] He 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.[4]

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 three 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, aged 66, due to a heart attack. He was interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.[5][3]

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ "The Green Book: Mayors of the City of New York" on the official NYC website]
  2. ^ August 8, 1889 comes from his World War I draft registration
  3. ^ a b "Joseph V. McKee is Dead". New York Times. January 29, 1956, Sunday. "Joseph V. McKee, Acting Mayor of New York for four months when James J. Walker resigned under fire in 1932, died of a heart attack yesterday at his home, 625 Park Avenue. His age was 66." 
  4. ^ "Joseph V. McKee". New York Times. January 1, 1933, Sunday. "New York City celebrated its real New Year's on September 2. On that day Mayor Walker resigned and Joseph V. McKee became Acting Mayor. He owes much to his predecessor. The regime of the easy-going gentleman now writing his reminiscences on the Riviera furnished the perfect foil for his successor." 
  5. ^ Gate of Heaven Cemetery is also the final resting place of his mayoral predecessor, Walker and his mayoral successor, O'Brien
New York Assembly
Preceded by
?		 New York State Assembly, Bronx County 7th District
1918–1923		 Succeeded by
?
Political offices
Preceded by
James J. Walker		 Mayors of New York City
1932		 Succeeded by
John P. O'Brien