Samuel S. Stratton

Samuel S. Stratton
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 32nd, 35th, 29th, 28th, 23rd district
In office
January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1989
Preceded by Bernard W. Kearney
R. Walter Riehlman
Daniel E. Button
Hamilton Fish IV
Peter A. Peyser
Succeeded by Alexander Pirnie
James M. Hanley
Carleton J. King
Matthew F. McHugh
Michael R. McNulty
Mayor of Schenectady, New York
In office
1956–1959
Preceded by Archibald Wemple
Succeeded by Kenneth S. Sheldon
Personal details
Born September 27, 1916
Yonkers, New York
Died September 13, 1990(1990-09-13) (aged 73)
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Resting place Arlington National Cemetery
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Children Brian U. Stratton
Alma mater University of Rochester
Haverford College
Harvard University
Military service
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Rank Captain
Battles/wars World War II
Korean War
Awards Bronze Star (2)

Samuel Studdiford Stratton (September 27, 1916 – September 13, 1990) was a Democratic political figure in Upstate New York. He is notable for his service as Mayor of Schenectady, and his 30-year career as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Born in Yonkers, New York as the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, Stratton was a graduate of the University of Rochester, Haverford College, and Harvard University. He worked for two years on the staff of a Massachusetts Congressman, and then served in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he worked as an on air personality for television and radio stations in Schenectady, and served on the city council. He was recalled to active military duty for the Korean War, and served in Washington, DC.

After returning to Schenectady, he was reelected to the city council in 1953. In 1955 he was elected mayor. In 1958, Stratton ran successfully for Congress; he was reelected fourteen times, and served from 1959 to 1989. After unsuccessful attempts to run for higher office, and surviving efforts by the New York State Legislature to remove him through unfavorable redistricting, Stratton settled into a long career as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. In addition to paying attention to local defense concerns, including manufacturing contracts for General Electric and the Watervliet Arsenal, Stratton took a lead role on other military-related issues, including admitting women to the service academies.

Stratton did not run for reelection in 1988, and retired to his home in Maryland. He died in Maryland in 1990, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Early life

Stratton was born in Yonkers, New York, the son of the Reverend Paul Stratton (1876-1942) and Ethel Irene Russell (1883-1970).[1][2] His family moved to Schenectady, New York while he was an infant.[3] He attended school in Schenectady, Rochester, New York, and Blair Academy in New Jersey.[3][1] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester in 1937, was a captain of the swim team, and joined Phi Beta Kappa and Psi Upsilon.[3][4] He received a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Haverford College in 1938, and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Harvard University in 1940.[3] Stratton was executive secretary to Massachusetts Congressman Thomas H. Eliot from 1940 to 1942.[1]

Military

In mid-1942, Stratton joined the United States Naval Reserve.[3] Commissioned an ensign, he served in the South West Pacific Area as a combat intelligence officer on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur.[3] Twice awarded the Bronze Star with a Valor device, Stratton interrogated Tomoyuki Yamashita, who was later executed for his part in the Manila massacre.[4]

Politics

After World War II, Stratton returned to Schenectady and was elected to the city council in 1949. He began serving as a member of Schenectady's Municipal Housing Authority in 1950, and remained with the Authority until 1955, including holding the position of chairman in 1951.[5]

During the Korean War, Stratton was recalled to active duty, serving as an instructor at the Naval Intelligence School in Washington, D.C. from 1951 to 1953, and attaining the rank of captain.[3][5] Stratton again returned to Schenectady and was re-elected to the city council from 1953 to 1956.[3] In 1955, he was elected mayor of Schenectady as a conservative Democrat.[3] For a period of time while he was Mayor, he supplemented his salary by working as an on air announcer, newscaster, and commentator on politics and current events for WRGB, the NBC television affiliate in Schenectady, as well as other local television and radio stations.[3] His television career included appearances as the character Sagebrush Sam, which involved dressing as a cowboy and playing a harmonica.[3] From 1957 to 1958, Stratton was also a financial services representative with the First Albany Corporation.[5]

In 1958, Stratton was elected to the U.S. Congress. He made a name for himself in multiple elections by appealing to conservative voters and supporting defense spending in his district, which included General Electric and the Watervliet Arsenal.[3]

For his first two terms, Stratton represented a relatively compact district centered around Schenectady. In the early 1960s, the Republican-controlled legislature tried to draw Stratton's district out from under him.[3][6] Stratton's home in Amsterdam was drawn into a district that snaked from the Capital District suburbs all the way west across Upstate as far as Auburn, including along the way some of the most rural and conservative territory in central New York.[3][6] On paper, this district seemed unwinnable for a Democrat, even a conservative Democrat like Stratton. However, Stratton was reelected in 1962 with 54 percent of the vote. [7] He quickly became popular with the voters in this mostly rural district, and went on to win another four terms by well over 60 percent of the vote.[3][6] The state legislature finally gave up in the 1970s round of redistricting, and placed his home into a heavily Democratic seat including the heart of the Capital District. He easily defeated Republican incumbent Daniel Button, and was reelected seven more times without serious difficulty, retiring in 1989 at the age of 72.[3][6]

In 1962, Stratton was a candidate for Governor of New York; Robert M. Morgenthau won the Democratic nomination, but lost the general election to incumbent Nelson A. Rockefeller.[3] Stratton was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 1964, hoping to challenge incumbent Kenneth Keating, but he was defeated by Robert F. Kennedy, who would go on to win the election. For most of Stratton's tenure, he was a senior member of the Armed Services Committee.[3]

He was a proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment,[8] and also introduced successful legislation, as a rider to the 1975 defense appropriations bill, which mandated the admission of women to the service academies.[9]

Retirement and death

Stratton lived in Potomac, Maryland after his retirement until his death in Gaithersburg, Maryland at age 73.[3] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 7A, Grave 58.[10]

Legacy

After his death, both the Air National Guard base in Scotia, New York[11] and the Veterans Affairs hospital in Albany, New York were named in his honor.[12]

Family

In 1947, Stratton was married to Joan Harris (1921-2009).[3][13] They were the parents of five children: daughters, Lisa, Debra, and Kim; and sons, Kevin and Brian.[3][13]

His son, Brian U. Stratton, was elected mayor of Schenectady in 2003.[14] With the expected retirement of the elder Stratton's successor in Congress, Michael McNulty, there was speculation the younger Stratton would run for his father's old House seat in the 2008 election, but he chose to remain mayor.[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 New York Red Book.
  2. ↑ "Obituary: Paul Stratton, '03".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Samuel S. Stratton, 73, Former Congressman, Dies".
  4. 1 2 Samuel S. Stratton: A Story of Political Gumption.
  5. 1 2 3 "Congressional biography, Samuel Studdiford Stratton".
  6. 1 2 3 4 Bushmanders and Bullwinkles.
  7. ↑ "Greater Voter Perception Stimulates New Election Patterns".
  8. ↑ "Dow, Stratton a Race of Opposites".
  9. ↑ "History: Admission of Female Cadets".
  10. ↑ "Samuel S. Stratton at Arlington Cemetery.mil".
  11. ↑ "109th Airlift Wing: History".
  12. ↑ "Locations: Albany VA Medical Center: Samuel S. Stratton".
  13. 1 2 "Obituary, Joan Harris Stratton".
  14. 1 2 "Mayor Would Rather Stay in Schenectady".

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Political offices
Preceded by
Archibald Wemple		 Mayor of Schenectady
1956–1959 		Succeeded by
Kenneth S. Sheldon
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Bernard W. Kearney		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 32nd congressional district
1959–1963 		Succeeded by
Alexander Pirnie
Preceded by
R. Walter Riehlman		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 35th congressional district
1963–1971 		Succeeded by
James M. Hanley
Preceded by
Daniel E. Button		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 29th congressional district
1971–1973 		Succeeded by
Carleton J. King
Preceded by
Hamilton Fish IV		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 28th congressional district
1973–1983 		Succeeded by
Matthew F. McHugh
Preceded by
Peter A. Peyser		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 23rd congressional district
1983–1989 		Succeeded by
Michael R. McNulty
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