Robert F. Wagner | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Harris & Ewing photo, Library of Congress | |
| United States Senator from New York | |
| In office March 4, 1927 – June 28, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | James W. Wadsworth Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John Foster Dulles |
| Acting Lieutenant Governor of New York | |
| In office October 17, 1913 – December 31, 1914 | |
| Governor | Martin H. Glynn |
| Preceded by | Martin H. Glynn |
| Succeeded by | Edward Schoeneck |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 16th district | |
| In office January 1, 1909 – December 31, 1918 | |
| Preceded by | John T. McCall |
| Succeeded by | James A. Foley |
| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1905 – December 31, 1905 | |
| Preceded by | Gotthardt A. Litthauer |
| Succeeded by | Maurice F. Smith |
| Constituency | 30th New York district |
| In office January 1, 1907 – December 31, 1908 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Rock |
| Succeeded by | George W. Baumann |
| Constituency | 22nd New York district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Ferdinand Wagner June 8, 1877 Nastätten, Hesse-Nassau, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | May 4, 1953 (aged 75) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Margaret Marie McTague
(m. 1908; died 1919) |
| Children | Robert Ferdinand Wagner II |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| [1][2] | |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Modern liberalism in the United States |
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Robert Ferdinand Wagner I (June 8, 1877 – May 4, 1953) was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who represented the state of New York in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1949.
Born in Prussia, Wagner immigrated to the United States with his family in 1885. After graduating from New York Law School, Wagner won election to the New York State Legislature, eventually becoming the Democratic leader of the New York State Senate. Working closely with fellow New York City Democrat Al Smith, Wagner and Smith embraced reform, especially to the benefit of their core constituency, the working class. They built a coalition for these reforms that embraced unions, social workers, some businessmen, and numerous middle-class activists and civic reform organizations across the state.[3] Wagner left the state senate in 1918, and served as a justice of the New York Supreme Court until his election to the U.S. Senate in 1926.
As a Senator, Wagner was a leader of the New Deal Coalition, putting special emphasis on supporting the labor movement. He was a close associate and strong supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He sponsored three major laws: the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (also known as the Wagner Act), the Social Security Act of 1935, and the Housing Act of 1937.[4] Wagner resigned from the Senate in 1949 due to ill health, and died in 1953. His son, Robert F. Wagner Jr., was mayor of New York City from 1954 through 1965.
- ^ "Robert Ferdinand Wagner". Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1977. GALE|BT2310001400. Retrieved February 26, 2012 – via Fairfax County Public Library. Gale Biography In Context. (subscription required)
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NNDBwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Robert A. Slayton, Empire statesman: The rise and redemption of Al Smith (2001) ch 6-11
- ^ J. Joseph. Huthmacher, "Senator Robert F. Wagner and the rise of urban liberalism." American Jewish Historical Quarterly (1969): 330-346. in JSTOR