Background
Mitchel, John Purroy was born on July 19, 1879 in Fordham, New York, United States. Son of Captain James and Mary (Purroy) Mitchel.
Mitchel, John Purroy was born on July 19, 1879 in Fordham, New York, United States. Son of Captain James and Mary (Purroy) Mitchel.
Purroy graduated from secondary school at Fordham Preparatory School in the late 1890s.
He obtained his bachelors degree from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1899 and graduated from New York Law School in 1901. His short career witnessed a turning point in New York State politics, in which the Democratic Party increasingly returned to positions of power after a long period of Republican dominance in many jurisdictions since the career of Grover Cleveland.
Admitted to N.Y. bar, June 1901; spl. counsel to City of New York, Dec. 1906-Apr. 1907; commr. of accounts of New York, Apr. 22, 1907-09; pres. Bd. of Aldermen, 1909-13 (acting mayor, Aug.-Sept. 1910); collector Port of New York, June 7-Dec. 1913; mayor of New York, term Jan. 1, 1914-Dec. 31, 1917. Commd. major Aviation Corps, U.S.A., Jan. 11, 1918.
Married Olive, d.