Smith Ely, Jr.

Smith Ely, Jr.

Smith Ely, Jr. (April 17, 1825 – July 1, 1911) was the 82nd Mayor of New York City and member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

Biography

He was born in Hanover Township, New Jersey on April 17, 1825.

He completed preparatory studies and was graduated from the University of the City of New York (now New York University) and, in 1845, from New York University School of Law.^[1] He was admitted to the bar the same year, but never practiced law. Instead, he engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York.

He was active in various public offices:

• school commissioner, 1856–1860;
• state senator, 1858 and 1859;
• county supervisor, 1860–1870;
• commissioner of public instruction, 1867;
• Democratic Representative to the Forty-second Congress, March 4, 1871 - March 4, 1873; 'not' a candidate for renomination in 1872;
• Representative to the Forty-fourth Congress, March 4, 1875, to the date of his resignation, December 11, 1876; chairman, Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury; and
• mayor of New York in 1877 and 1878.

In 1895, he was appointed commissioner of parks and served until 1897, when he retired from public life. In 1911, he died in Livingston, Essex County, New Jersey, where he was interred in a private cemetery on his farm.

References

Sources

• Smith Ely, Jr. at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Mayors of New York City from inception to consolidation (June 12, 1665 – December 31, 1897) T. Willett Delavall T. Willett Van Steenwyk Delavall Nicoll J. Lawrence Dervall De Mayer S. Van Cortlandt Delavall Rombouts Dyre Van Steenwyk Minvielle N. Bayard S. Van Cortlandt Delanoy J. Lawrence A. de Peyster Lodwik Merritt J. de Peyster Provost De Reimer Noell French Peartree Wilson J. Van Cortlandt Heathcote Johnstone J. Van Cortlandt Walters Jansen Lurting Richard Cruger S. Bayard Holland Cruger, Jr Hicks Mathews Duane Varick Livingston Clinton M. Willett Clinton Radcliff Clinton Ferguson Radcliff Colden Allen Paulding Hone Paulding Bowne Lee C. Lawrence Clark Varian Morris Harper Havemeyer Mickle Brady Havemeyer Woodhull Kingsland Westervelt Wood Tiemann Wood Opdyke Gunther Hoffman Coman Hall Havemeyer Vance Wickham Ely Cooper Grace Edson Grace Hewitt Grant Gilroy Strong