 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2019) |
Erastus Corning 2nd | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mayor Corning in 1969 | |
| 72nd Mayor of Albany, New York | |
| In office January 2, 1942 – May 28, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | J. Boyd Thatcher II |
| Succeeded by | Thomas M. Whalen III |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 30th district | |
| In office January 1, 1937 – August 1, 1941 | |
| Preceded by | William T. Byrne |
| Succeeded by | Julian B. Erway |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from Albany's 1st district | |
| In office January 1, 1936 – August 1, 1936 | |
| Preceded by | John H. Cahill |
| Succeeded by | George W. Foy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 7, 1909 Albany, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 28, 1983 (aged 73) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Norris Platt (m. 1932-1983, his death) |
| Relations | Erastus Corning (great-grandfather) Amasa J. Parker (great-grandfather) Parker Corning (uncle) Edwin Corning Jr. (brother) |
| Children | Erastus Corning III Bettina Corning Dudley |
| Parent(s) | Edwin Corning Louise Maxwell |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Profession | Insurance broker |
| Civilian awards | Order of Orange-Nassau (Officer) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1944–1945 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Military awards | Bronze Star Medal Combat Infantryman Badge |
Erastus Corning 2nd (October 7, 1909 – May 28, 1983) was an American politician. A Democrat, Corning served as the 72nd mayor of Albany, New York from 1942 to 1983, when Albany County was controlled by one of the last classic urban political machines in the United States.
Corning hailed from a prominent Albany family. His great-grandfather, Erastus Corning, was an industrialist who founded the New York Central Railroad and served in Congress and as Albany's mayor from 1834 to 1837. Another great-grandfather, Amasa J. Parker, was a member of Congress and prominent judge. Corning's father, Edwin Corning, was Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1927 to 1928. His uncle, Parker Corning, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. His brother, Edwin Corning Jr., served as a member of the New York State Assembly. Corning was educated at The Albany Academy, Groton School, and Yale University (class of 1932). The Corning family was involved in several Albany-area businesses, and Corning started an insurance agency after his college graduation. While he served as mayor, his agency did not do business with the city of Albany, but did do business with Albany County, which Corning argued presented no conflict of interest, since he was not a county official.
Corning's father was one of the leaders of the Democratic Party organization formed by Daniel P. O'Connell, which wrested control of Albany city and county from the Republican organization led by William Barnes Jr. in the early 1920s. The O'Connell machine proved so durable that it still largely controlled Albany County until the early 1980s, one of the last such organizations to remain viable. Corning entered politics at an early age as an affiliate of the O'Connell organization, winning a seat in the New York State Assembly in 1935. After serving in the Assembly during the 1936 legislative session, Corning won election to the New York State Senate, where he served from 1937 to 1941. Corning was elected mayor in 1941. He continued to win election every four years until 1981, and served from 1941 until his death in 1983. Corning was drafted for World War II and served in the United States Army's 2nd Infantry Division during combat in Europe. In 1946, he was the Democratic Party's unsuccessful nominee for lieutenant governor. In the 1970s, Corning teamed with Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller to finance construction of the Empire State Plaza, a large state government office complex near Albany's downtown area. The plaza's tallest building, Erastus Corning Tower, was named in Corning's honor.
In the early 1980s, Corning's health began to deteriorate. In January 1983, he was moved to University Hospital in Boston, where he died on May 28. Corning was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, New York. At over 41 years, Corning's tenure makes him Albany's longest-serving mayor, as well as the longest-tenured mayor ever of any large city in the United States.[citation needed]