Title

Empire statesman : the rise and redemption of Al Smith

Description

Franklin Roosevelt is said to have explained Al Smith, and his own New Deal, with these words; Practically all the things we've done in the federal government are the things Al Smith did as governor of New York." Smith, who ran for president in 1928, not only set the model for FDR, he also taught America that the promise of the country extends to everyone and no one should be left behind." "The story of this trailblazer is the story of America in the twentieth century. A child of second-generation immigrants, a boy self-educated on the streets of the nation's largest city, he went on to become the greatest governor in the history of New York; a national leader and symbol to immigrants, Catholics, and the Irish; and in 1928 the first Catholic major-party candidate for president. He was the man who championed safe working conditions in the wake of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. He helped build the Empire State Building. Above all, he was a national model, both for his time and for ours."--Jacket.

Identifier

938573

684863022

Creator

Slayton, Robert A

Source

Brian Lamb Booknotes Collection

Gift of Brian Lamb, 2011.

Catalog record

Language

eng

Date

2001

Program air date: May 13, 2001

Publisher

Free Press

George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives

Text

Transcription of Annotations
Notes on front endpapers and fly leaves: "Mar.16, 11 a.m. - Sen. Tom Heflin, Anti-Catholic, p. 246. - Wire cage for coloreds at the convention in Houston. - Al was wet. - Picked John Jacob Raskob to be Chair of National Committee; he was a Repub. and Catholic and rich, p. 259. - Gravel voice; reformed N.Y. State. - Stranger to books? - Diversity - immigrants; introduced modern form of liberal govt. - A paragon of virtue throughout his life, devoted to Katie. - No blacks in his govt. - Frances Perkins - 1926, named head of industrial board. - b. Dec. 30, 1873 (74), d. Oct. 4, 1944. - Talked with Alfred E. Smith IV. - What's the Al Smith dinner in N.Y.C.? - 18th, 24th amendments - Prohibition. - Never learned to drive. - 1918: N.Y.'s first governor's race where women vote; the flu. - Tammany Hall - really blossomed during Gilded Age - against women in politics. - Mar. 25, 1911: Triangle Shirt Waist Company Fire; 146 people perished. - Prohibition: 18th amend., 1917: House: 282-128, Senate: 65-20; Jan. 16, 1919: 36 states ratify; new York was the 44th state (48) - Article in 1927 'Nation': Al drinks between 4 and 8 drinks a day. - Mullin-Gage bill (1923): Al signed repeal. - June 9, 1941: Al and FDR reconcile at the W.H. (p. 398); FDR and Al make up over Hitler. - Moses makes Al night Supt.at the Central Park Zoo. - 1933: Belle dies; edits and writes for new Outlook; joins American Liberty League: Dupont, Sloan etc.; gives speech denouncing FDR (1936), p. 385. - p. 203: Alabama Senator Tom Heflin - Georgetown, anti-Catholic hatred; a candidate for Pres. 1924. - Charlie Murphy suddenly dies, FDR becomes campaign manager; on 103rd ballot picked John W. Davis; Al then gave his worst speech, p. 215. - 1930: FDR runs for Gov., wins big, 700+ votes; Moses disliked FDR. - p. 353: letters between Al and FDR - nothing like them. - Empire State Building: Al became "a joke", p. 340. - James Riordan - Al's buddy - shot himself over market losses. - Campaign loan scheme - $1 Mill. - Al didn't know about it, p. 346. - Al became Bank President. - What was Tiger Club? - Al and Frank letter, p. 152." - Notes on half title page: "First election 1918. - 3 major beliefs: 1) commitment to the urban immigrant 2) industrial reform 3) administrative management. - 1913: Speaker of N.Y. Assembly; he had 5 children. - Prohibition: N.Y. became 44th state to adopt amendment. - Governor: he had five races. - 5 socialists in Assembly; Al denounces ban on unpopular parties. - Aides: Joseph Proskauer, Belle Moskowitz, Robert Moses. - 1920: William Randolph Hearst, he wanted 1922 Dem. nomination; Journal [?] and American vote for Al - re-elect 1st time in 17 yrs. - Al lost. - Greatest contribution: "he really was a leader", p. 233. - Electoral: 444 to 87; pop.: 21.3 to 15, 58.2% to 40%. - Economics wins over politics; lost New York: 110,000. - You say Al Smith lost because of his religion." - Notes on title page: "What's worse - Protestants voting against Al or all Catholics voting for him?" -- Annotations by Brian Lamb in the margins and underlining of pertinent phrases throughout the book. Examples: p. 136: "The governor began by stating that he was "unalterably opposed to the fundamental principles of the Socialist Party;" nevertheless, it was "inconceivable" to him "that a minority party duly constituted and legally organized, should be deprived of its right to expression...". - p. 183: "Workers appreciated Al for his efforts on their behalf, and he incorporated their needs and concerns into his plans as well." - p. 200: "When the Governor of the largest State in the Union boldly raises the black flag and offers to lead the representatives of the outlawed liquor traffic in their assault upon the nation's honor and the people's welfare, he must expect resistance from defenders of the home, the school, and the Church." - p. 239: Al's ideals were always at their core universalistic. His accent, his religion, and his wet sympathies grated, but his platform and thinking cannot be said to have been hostile to the South's interests." - p. 300: ":The KKK's first and most emphasized targets in the twentieth century therefore were foreigners, Jews, and, above all, Roman Catholics." - p.324: "Al Smith lost in 1928 because of his religion, and because of the people he stood up for." - p. 389: "The American people had rejected him for an adolescent, a cripple, a fop who had never had to work a day in his life." - p. 391: "the big issue this country is going to face in the future...is the question of the Negroes."

Subject

"Smith, Alfred Emanuel, 1873-1944."

"Presidential candidates--United States--Biography."

"Governors--New York (State)--Biography."

"Presidents--United States--Election--1928."

"Irish Americans--Biography."

"Catholics--United States--Biography."

Relation

Original Booknotes interview

Rights

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