Dewey, Thomas E. (1902–1971)

THOMAS E. DEWEY achieved prominence during three terms as governor of New York and twice as the Republican presidential nominee, in 1944 and 1948. Thomas Edward Dewey was born above his grandfather's general store in Owosso, Michigan, to George M. and Annie (Thomas) Dewey. The Deweys were distant relatives of Admiral George Dewey. Thomas's father, George Dewey, was the local newspaper publisher and active in Republican politics. Dewey had perfect attendance from kindergarten through high school. He graduated in 1923 from the University of Michigan with a degree in choral music and went on to law school at Columbia University. This brought him to New York City, where he would make his career as a lawyer and politician. One of Dewey's hobbies extending from his childhood was singing, and it was as a young lawyer in New York that he met his wife, the former Frances Hutt, at their vocal teacher's studio. She was a star of the musical theatre on Broadway. They were married in 1928. To this union were born two sons, Thomas E. Dewey, Jr., and John M. Dewey.

Dewey was in the private practice of law in New York City from 1925 until 1931, when he was appointed chief assistant to the U.S. attorney. Dewey briefly served as U.S. attorney after his superior resigned in 1933. In 1935, he was appointed special prosecutor by Governor Herbert Lehman to investigate organized crime. Dewey achieved much success with his prosecutions, and as a result of his newfound fame, he was drafted by Fiorello H. LaGuardia to run for district attorney of Manhattan (New York County). He then continued his prosecution of organized crime on the state level. During his first year in office, he made his first run for governor, against Lehman, to whom he lost narrowly.

In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was finishing his second term, and it was expected that he would [Page 616]not run again, as no president had sought a third term. Dewey, who was still only a county-level official, was nevertheless one of the best-known Republicans in the country, and he was urged by many to seek the presidency. Dewey was nominated at the national convention but lost to Wendell Willkie. It may have been just as well for Dewey, as Roosevelt indeed sought a third term and easily defeated Willkie in the election.

Dewey next turned his attentions to the buildup preceding World War II. He headed an effort by the United Service Organizations for National Defense (USO) to equip military bases with social facilities, raising more than $16 million for the cause. He did not seek reelection as district attorney. Instead, he ran again for governor in 1942. Lehman had decided to retire, and there was a split on the political left. This was one of the first electoral contests for a new party, the American Labor Party (ALP), which represented a left-wing break from the Democratic Party. (The ALP later merged into the Liberal Party of New York, which is still a factor in state and national politics in the Empire State.) Dewey won with a majority despite a three-way race. He made a thorough house-cleaning of the state government through a series of appointments, the Republicans not having held the governorship for 20 years. One of the hallmarks of his tenure as governor was the passage of the first state law barring religious and racial discrimination in employment.

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