Earl Brydges

Earl Brydges

Earl William Brydges (May 25, 1905 Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York - March 30, 1975 Lewiston, Niagara County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Majority Leader of the New York State Senate from 1966 to 1972

Life

He graduated from Niagara University and the University at Buffalo law school. Later he served for many years on Niagara University's board of trustees. He was admitted to the bar in 1927. He married Eleanor C. Mahoney.

Brydges served on the Board of Education in Wilson, New York during the 1940s. He also was active in educational advocacy organizations in Western New York.

He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1949 to 1972. He was first elected to the State Senate representing Niagara County. Later his district also included Orleans County.

For the majority of his Senate career, Brydges focused mainly on educational policy and mental health issues. His focus within the area of mental health was on improving services for the mentally retarded and special education students. His education policy focus was on K-12 education policy statewide. Brydges served as Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Mental Health.

In 1965, when the Republican Party lost the majority in the State Senate for the only time since 1939, Brydges was elected Minority Leader of the Senate. Court ordered voting rights redistricting lead to senators serving one year terms in 1965 and 1966. The Republican Party regained the majority in 1966, and Brydges became Majority Leader. He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967.

As Majority Leader, Brydges worked closely with Gov. Nelson Rockefeller on policy development and legislation. His main focus continued on educational issues, along with upstate economic development. He worked with Rockefeller to create the State University of New York system and to develop new school state aid funding formulas. Brydges worked with Rockfeller in the creation of new state agencies and reorganization of the New York City mass transit system. As Majority Leader, Brydges remained an advocate for Western New York and tourism development in Niagara County. He was an early supporter of casino gambling in Niagara Falls. In 1972, Brydges successfully passed legislation to legalize casino gaming in New York State through an amendment to the state constitution. The casino amendment did not pass in the end, since the state constitution requires the passage of legislation in two consecutive legislative sessions and then passage of the majority of the state's voters in a statewide referendum. Brydges' vision in the area of casino gaming was realized with the opening of the Seneca Niagara Casino on January 1, 2003.

Brydges was a fierce advocate for the pro-life movement and blocked legislation to legalize abortion in New York. In 1970, Brydges allowed the Senate to vote on legislation to legalize abortion. He did so under the belief the Senate would not pass the bill. When the Senate surprised him and passed the bill, which had already passed the Assembly and had the support of Governor Rockefeller, Brydges reportedly sat in his Senate chair and wept.

In 1972, both Rockefeller and Lt. Gov. Malcolm Wilson left the state on the same afternoon. Under the state constitution, this made Brydges the Acting Governor of New York for several hours. As acting governor, Brydges signed routine state paperwork and conducted Senate business. He did not sign any legislation into law, including a pending bill relating to Niagara Falls which he had sponsored.

In 1972, Brydges did not seek reelection to the Senate and he retired on Jan. 1, 1973. During his retirement he focused on the creation of Earl Brydges Artpark in Lewiston, New York. Artpark is an outdoor theater and concert center. In addition, the main public library in Niagara Falls was named after Brydges. Brydges died in 1975 and his funeral was attended by then Vice President Rockefeller. This was Rockefeller's first visit to Upstate New York as vice president.

He died from cancer.

ources

* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bryan-bucciarelli.html] Political Graveyard
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70810FD395E157493C3AA1788D85F418785F9] Obit in NYT on March 31, 1975 (subscription required)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park — (or Earl W. Brydges State Artpark) is located in the Village of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York, named after Earl Brydges. It is generally referred to as Artpark.This park is a venue of summer musical entertainment. The park also offers… …   Wikipedia

  • Earl (given name) — Infobox Given Name Revised name = Earl imagesize= caption= pronunciation= gender = meaning = region = origin = related names = footnotes = Earl is a popular English given name meaning warrior or nobleman [http://www.merriam… …   Wikipedia

  • Earl Temple of Stowe — Earl Temple of Stowe, in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1822 for the 2nd Marquess of Buckingham. He was created Marquess of Chandos and Duke of Buckingham and Chandos at the same… …   Wikipedia

  • Earl of Carnarvon — is a title that has been created three times in British history. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1628 in favour of Robert Dormer, 2nd Baron Dormer. For more information on this creation, which became extinct in 1709, see the… …   Wikipedia

  • Earl of Westmeath — is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1621 for Richard Nugent, Baron Delvin. The fifth Earl was a was a Major General in the British Army. The sixth Earl was sworn of the Irish Privy Council in 1758. His son by his first wife,… …   Wikipedia

  • Earl Nugent — The titles of Viscount Clare and Baron Nugent, of Carlanstown in the county of Westmeath, in the Peerage of Ireland, were conferred upon The Right Honourable Robert Craggs Nugent, the First Lord of Trade, on 19 January 1767. On 21 July 1776, he… …   Wikipedia

  • Earl of Carnarvon — George Herbert, 5. Earl of Carnarvon Earl of Carnarvon ist ein britischer erblicher Adelstitel , der nunmehr von der Familie Herbert getragen wird. Der Titel wurde bisher dreimal geschaffen, einmal in der Peerage of England und zweimal in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos — PC (6 January 1673 – 9 August 1744) was the first of fourteen children by Sir James Brydges, 3rd Baronet of Wilton Castle, Sheriff of Herefordshire, 8th Lord Chandos; and Elizabeth Barnard. Three days after his father s death on 16 October 1714,… …   Wikipedia

  • Henry Brydges, 2nd Duke of Chandos — (17 January 1708 – 28 November 1771) described by King George II as a hot headed, passionate, half witted coxcomb Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage , volume III, pp131 132] was the second son of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos PC and… …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Bruce, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury — Charles, Lord Bruce (1682 1747) Charles Bruce, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury and 4th Earl of Elgin (1682–1747), styled Viscount Bruce of Ampthill from 1685 to 1741, was the son of Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury and Lady Elizabeth Seymour. His… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”