Tomas Dewey
USA- Thomas E. Dewey
- Legal Career and Prosecutor
- Governor of New York
- Presidential Campaigns
- Later Life and Legacy
Thomas E. Dewey
Early Life and EducationThomas Edmund Dewey was born in Owosso, Michigan, on March 24, 1902. His father was the owner, editor, and publisher of the local newspaper. Dewey attended the University of Michigan, where he was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a national music honor society. In 1923, he placed third in a national singing competition. He considered pursuing a professional singing career but was dissuaded after a temporary throat ailment convinced him of the precariousness of such a path.
Dewey graduated from the University of Michigan in 1923 and from Columbia Law School in 1925. He contributed articles to the university newspaper, the Michigan Daily.
Legal Career and Prosecutor
In 1928, Dewey married Frances Hutt, a former actress. They had two sons, Thomas E. Dewey Jr. and John Dewey. Despite his long career as a prosecutor and later district attorney in New York City, Dewey's home from 1938 until his death was a large farm called "Daplemore" near Pawling, New York.
Dewey gained national prominence in the early 1930s when he prosecuted bootlegger Waxey Gordon as chief assistant to the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He also relentlessly pursued notorious gangster Dutch Schultz, both as a federal and a state prosecutor. He secured the conviction of crime boss Lucky Luciano for racketeering, a major triumph in his legal career.
In 1937, Dewey was elected District Attorney of New York County (Manhattan).
Governor of New York
Dewey was elected Governor of New York in 1942, 1946, and 1950. He served a total of 12 years in office and was known for his honesty and effectiveness. During his tenure, he reduced taxes, doubled state aid to education, increased state employee salaries, and reduced the state debt by over $100 million. He also signed into law the state's first legislation prohibiting racial discrimination in employment. Dewey played a key role in the creation of the State University of New York and the New York State Thruway, which later bore his name.
Presidential Campaigns
Dewey was the Republican nominee for President in 1944 and 1948. In 1944, he lost to incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt, but in 1948, he was widely favored to win. The Chicago Daily Tribune famously printed the premature headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" before the vote count showed incumbent Harry Truman had won by a narrow margin.
Later Life and Legacy
After his loss in 1948, Dewey worked behind the scenes in Republican politics. He was instrumental in Dwight Eisenhower's successful presidential campaign in 1952.
Dewey died on March 16, 1971, just eight days before his 69th birthday. He is remembered as a prominent prosecutor, governor, and presidential candidate who played a significant role in the development of the Republican Party in the mid-20th century.
