Abraham David Beame

March 20, 1906 (age 94)

London, Greater London, United Kingdom

As such, he presided over the city during the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, during which the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy. Beame and his family left England when he was three months old. He was raised on New York City"s Lower East Side. Before politics While still a student at City College of New York, he co-founded an accounting firm, Beame & Greidinger. After graduation he also taught accounting from 1929 to 1946 at Richmond Hill High School in Queens, and eventually accounting and commercial law at Rutgers University during 1944 and 1945. He was appointed New York City"s Director of the Budget, serving from 1952 to 1961. Early political career Beame was a "clubhouse" or machine politician, a product of the Brooklyn wing of the regular Democratic organization (that borough"s equivalent of Manhattan"s Tammany Hall) as opposed to the "reform" Democrats who entered New York City politics in the 1950s. He was a Democrat and was elected to two terms as city comptroller in 1961 and 1969. In 1965 he was the Democratic nominee for Mayor, but was defeated by the Republican candidate, John V. Lindsay. As Mayor of New York City He defeated State Senator John Marchi in the 1973 mayoral election, becoming the 104th Mayor of New York City. Beame faced the worst fiscal crisis in the city"s history and spent the bulk of his term attempting to ward off bankruptcy. He slashed the city workforce, froze salaries, and reconfigured the budget, which proved unsatisfactory until reinforced by actions from newly created state-sponsored entities and the granting of federal funds. However, "he was credited with distributing the City"s dwindling resources equitably". He served during the 1977 blackout crisis. When he left office in 1977, the city budget had changed from a $1.5 billion deficit to a surplus of $200 million. After a chaotic four years as mayor, he ran for a second term in 1977 and finished third in the Democratic primary, behind United States. Representative Editor Koch and New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo. Beame outpolled former Congresswoman Bella Abzug, Congressman Herman Badillo and Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton in the 1977 primary. Beame was succeeded by Editor Koch. Beame was the first mayor of New York City who was a practicing Jew (earlier Mayor Fiorello Louisiana Guardia was of Jewish ancestry on his mother"s side, but he was Episcopalian).

Abraham David Beame

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Comptroller mayor politician

Background

Beame, Abraham David was born on March 20, 1906 in London. Came to the United States, 1906. Naturalized, 1914. Son of Philip and Esther (Goldfarb) Beame.

Education

He was a student at P.S. 160, the High School of Commerce, and City College of New York, where he graduated from its Baruch School with honors in 1928 with a degree in business.

Career

As such, he presided over the city during the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, during which the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy. Beame and his family left England when he was three months old. He was raised on New York City"s Lower East Side.

Before politics

While still a student at City College of New York, he co-founded an accounting firm, Beame & Greidinger.

After graduation he also taught accounting from 1929 to 1946 at Richmond Hill High School in Queens, and eventually accounting and commercial law at Rutgers University during 1944 and 1945. He was appointed New York City"s Director of the Budget, serving from 1952 to 1961.

Early political career

Beame was a "clubhouse" or machine politician, a product of the Brooklyn wing of the regular Democratic organization (that borough"s equivalent of Manhattan"s Tammany Hall) as opposed to the "reform" Democrats who entered New York City politics in the 1950s. He was a Democrat and was elected to two terms as city comptroller in 1961 and 1969.

In 1965 he was the Democratic nominee for Mayor, but was defeated by the Republican candidate, John V. Lindsay.

As Mayor of New York City

He defeated State Senator John Marchi in the 1973 mayoral election, becoming the 104th Mayor of New York City. Beame faced the worst fiscal crisis in the city"s history and spent the bulk of his term attempting to ward off bankruptcy. He slashed the city workforce, froze salaries, and reconfigured the budget, which proved unsatisfactory until reinforced by actions from newly created state-sponsored entities and the granting of federal funds.

However, "he was credited with distributing the City"s dwindling resources equitably".

He served during the 1977 blackout crisis. When he left office in 1977, the city budget had changed from a $1.5 billion deficit to a surplus of $200 million.

After a chaotic four years as mayor, he ran for a second term in 1977 and finished third in the Democratic primary, behind United States. Representative Editor Koch and New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo. Beame outpolled former Congresswoman Bella Abzug, Congressman Herman Badillo and Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton in the 1977 primary.

Beame was succeeded by Editor Koch.

Beame was the first mayor of New York City who was a practicing Jew (earlier Mayor Fiorello Louisiana Guardia was of Jewish ancestry on his mother"s side, but he was Episcopalian).

Achievements

Abraham David Beame has been listed as a noteworthy mayor by Marquis Who's Who.

Membership

Member New York City Citizens Committee for Public Higher Education, Park Slope North Improvement Сorporation. Chairman national education program Religious Zionists American. Member lecture and forum committee National Democratic Club.

Chairman political and legislation affairs Kings County Democratic Executive Committee. Board directors Affiliated Young Democrats, Inc. Democratic candidate for mayor New York City, 1965.

Delegate Democratic National Conventions, 1956, 1960, 1964. Board directors Brooklyn region National Council Christians and Jews, New York State committee American's Conscience Fund, City College Fund, Brownsville Boys Club, United Jewish Appeal, Gil Hodges Foundation, American-Israel Cultural Foundation, International Synagogue, Brooklyn Jewish Community Council, Kyle Rote Metropolitan Football Conference, Countee Cullen Scholarship Foundation, Coordinator Council Education Disadvantaged, Brooklyn, Hebrew Home and Hospital for Aged, Grand St. Boys Association, Israel Bond Committee. Member Hillel Building Fund, Brooklyn College.

Trustee-at-large Federation Jewish Philanthropies. Member Friends of University Settlement. Member regional advisory board Anti-Defamation League.

Member graduate advisory board Baruch Sch. City College of New York. Member national legacies committee Yeshiva University.

Board sponsors art festival for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People legal defense. Member Zionist Organization American, City College Alumni Association (board directors 1952-1958), Beta Gamma Sigma Epsilon, B'nai B'rith (past trustee), Brookboro (Brooklyn).

Connections

Married Mary Ingerman, February 18, 1928. Children: Edmond M., Bernard W.

Father:: Philip Beame
Mother:: Esther (Goldfarb) Beame
Spouse:: Mary Ingerman
child:: Bernard W. Beame
child:: Edmond M. Beame

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