Benjamin F. Feinberg
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Franklin Feinberg (October 23, 1888 Malone
, Franklin County, New York
- February 6, 1959 Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
) was an American lawyer and politician from New York
. He was Temporary President of the New York State Senate
from 1944 to 1949.
.
He was a Republican member of the New York State Senate
from 1933 to 1949, and was Temporary President and Majority Leader from 1944 to 1949. In 1949, he sponsored the Feinberg Bill, an act to purge Communist and fellow traveler teachers from the State public-school system. The bill required the Regents of the State School Board to draw up a list of all subversive organizations. Membership in such organizations was sufficient grounds for summary removal. The regents were also empowered to dismiss school employees for the "utterance of any treasonable or seditious word...or the doing of any treasonable or seditious act..." regardless of their affiliations.
He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1938. On March 30, 1949, he was appointed Chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission, and served until 1958.
He was an alternate delegate to the 1940 Republican National Convention
, and a delegate to the 1944
and 1948 Republican National Convention
s.
He was instrumental in the founding of the State University of New York
, and the Library at SUNY Plattsburgh is named after him.
He died of a kidney
ailment at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal.
Malone (village), New York
-Notable natives:Notable natives include:*William Almon Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States under Rutherford Hayes. Is buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone....
, Franklin County, New York
Franklin County, New York
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin...
- February 6, 1959 Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) was an American lawyer and politician from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was Temporary President of the New York State Senate
Majority Leader of the New York State Senate
The Majority Leader of the New York State Senate is elected by the majority of the members of the New York State Senate. The position usually coincides with the title of Temporary President of the State Senate, who presides over the session of the State Senate if the Lieutenant Governor of New York...
from 1944 to 1949.
Life
He lived at PlattsburghPlattsburgh (city), New York
Plattsburgh is a city in and county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 19,989 at the 2010 census. The population of the unincorporated areas within the Town of Plattsburgh was 11,870 as of the 2010 census; making the population for the immediate, urban Plattsburgh,...
.
He was a Republican member of the New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
from 1933 to 1949, and was Temporary President and Majority Leader from 1944 to 1949. In 1949, he sponsored the Feinberg Bill, an act to purge Communist and fellow traveler teachers from the State public-school system. The bill required the Regents of the State School Board to draw up a list of all subversive organizations. Membership in such organizations was sufficient grounds for summary removal. The regents were also empowered to dismiss school employees for the "utterance of any treasonable or seditious word...or the doing of any treasonable or seditious act..." regardless of their affiliations.
He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1938. On March 30, 1949, he was appointed Chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission, and served until 1958.
He was an alternate delegate to the 1940 Republican National Convention
1940 Republican National Convention
The 1940 Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 24 to June 28, 1940. It nominated Wendell Willkie of Indiana for President and Senator Charles McNary of Oregon for Vice-President....
, and a delegate to the 1944
1944 Republican National Convention
The 1944 Republican National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, from June 26 to 28, 1944. It nominated Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York for President and Governor John Bricker of Ohio for Vice-President....
and 1948 Republican National Convention
1948 Republican National Convention
The 1948 Republican National Convention was held at the Municipal Auditorium, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 21 to 25, 1948.New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey had paved the way to win the Republican presidential nomination in the primary elections, where he had beaten Minnesota Governor...
s.
He was instrumental in the founding of the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
, and the Library at SUNY Plattsburgh is named after him.
He died of a kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
ailment at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal.
Sources
- http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/feickert-fellman.html Political Graveyard
- http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,800101,00.html The Feinberg Bill in TIME Magazine on April 11, 1949