Hugh Carey

Hugh Carey (1977)

Hugh Leo Carey (born April 11, 1919 in Brooklyn , New York City , † August 7, 2011 in Shelter Island , New York) was an American politician of the Democratic Party . He was governor of New York state from 1975 to 1983 . He also represented his state from 1961 to 1974 as a member of the US House of Representatives .

Early years and political advancement

Hugh Carey was born the third of six sons to Dennis J. Carey and his wife Margaret (née Collins) in Brooklyn, New York. The parents were descendants of Irish immigrants (from County Tyrone and County Galway). Dennis J. Carey was an entrepreneur who made money from trading in oil and kerosene . Carey therefore enjoyed a good education in Catholic private schools. In 1939 he left St. John's College to join a cavalry unit of the National Guard at Fort Drum (formerly Pine Camp) in northern New York. During the Second World War he fought in the 104th Infantry Division in France , Belgium , the Netherlands and Germany . Among other things, he was one of the soldiers who liberated the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp . When he was retired from the United States Army in 1946, he was a highly decorated Lieutenant Colonel , who had been awarded the Bronze Star , the Croix de Guerre and the Combat Infantryman's Badge , among others .

After the war, he began studying law at St. John's University School of Law in Queens, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.). In the same year he was admitted to the bar and began working as a lawyer in a joint law firm in Brooklyn. He was also active in the petrochemical industry with his brothers. Carey became a member of the Democratic Party .

Congressman and Governor

In 1960 Carey was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He exercised this mandate after several re-elections between January 3, 1961 and December 31, 1974 (87th to 93rd Congress). After he had been elected as the new governor of his state against incumbent Malcolm Wilson on November 5, 1974 , he resigned his mandate as congressman on December 31 of that year. On January 1, 1975 he took up his new office, which he held after a re-election in November 1978 until January 1, 1983. During his reign he helped to get the economic and financial problems of New York City under control and to save the city from financial collapse. His economic policies also revitalized the economy in New York State. Part of this policy was a significant tax cut and the promotion of investment programs. The governor also improved the health system, especially for the mentally handicapped. In addition, he campaigned for environmental protection. He was also a member of several governors' associations.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Carey remained politically active and worked as a lawyer in New York City. In 1976 and 1980 he toyed with the idea of ​​running for president of his own. But he gave up these plans himself. In 2006 he supported the gubernatorial campaign of Eliot Spitzer and in 2008 the successful presidential campaign of Barack Obama .

Private life

Hugh Carey was married twice. On February 27, 1947, he married Helen Owen Twohy, the widow of a childhood friend. The couple had 13 children between 1947 and 1966; Carey also adopted Helen's daughter from her first marriage. In 1969 two of his sons, Peter († 19) and Hugh Jr. († 18), were killed in a traffic accident. On March 8, 1974, Helen Carey died of breast cancer . In 1981 Carey was second married to Evangeline Gouletas, a native Greek who lived in Chicago . She was previously married three times and divorced twice. When it was found that her first husband was still alive without her knowledge, Carey filed for divorce in 1989. In 2001, another son, Paul († 39), who headed the United States Securities and Exchange Commission under US President Bill Clinton , died of cancer .

Web links

• Hugh Carey at the National Governors Association (English)
• Hugh Carey in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Hugh Carey in the database of Find a Grave (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ newsday August 9, 2011: Hugh Carey dies at Shelter Island home
2. ↑ ^{a b} Shelter Island Reporter August 10, 2011: Governor Carey dies at home at 92 ...
3. ↑ New York Times May 16, 2002: Paid Notice: Deaths CAREY, EDWARD M.
4. ^ ^{A b} New York Times August 7, 2011: Hugh Carey, Who Led Fiscal Rescue of New York City, Is Dead at 92
5. ↑ Star Tribune on Aug. 7, 2011: Former NY Gov. Hugh Carey, who led fiscal rescue of New York City in 1970s, dies at 92  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as broken. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
6. ↑ St. John's University School of Law - Bio Hugh L. Carey ( Memento of the original from May 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
7. ^ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Hugh Leo Carey
8. ^ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress - Hugh Leo Carey