Perhaps you’ve heard the name William Jay Gaynor before. He was the 94th Mayor of New York City. He served from 1910 to 1913. Gaynor was also a New York Supreme Court Justice. He served in that role from 1893 to 1909.
William Jay Gaynor was born in Oriskany New York. That was on February 2 1849. He grew up on a farm with seven siblings. As a boy, he loved exploring nature. He tried to figure out why things were the way they were.
Gaynor was a studious boy. His father encouraged his studies. He attended the local public school first. Then he went to Whiteboro Seminary. The Gaynor family was Irish and Catholic. On Sundays, they went to St. John’s Church in Utica.
Initially, Gaynor seemed destined for the church. He even entered a novitiate in New York City. He was known as Brother Adrian Denys. However, he later lost his belief in organized Christianity.
Gaynor entered politics. He became known as an honest reformer. This helped him get elected as mayor in 1909. On January 1 1910, he walked to City Hall from his Brooklyn home. It was his first time visiting the seat of city government. He told the crowd he would do his best for New York City.
As mayor, William Jay Gaynor curbed patronage and nepotism. He filled government posts with experts. He opposed efforts to stop the subway’s development. Gaynor once said the world doesn’t grow better by force.
Early in his term, someone tried to assassinate William Jay Gaynor. James J. Gallagher shot him in the throat. Gallagher was a discharged city employee. The shooting happened on a ship in Hoboken New Jersey. William Jay Gaynor remains the only New York City mayor to be shot.
A photographer captured the moment of the shooting. It became a famous photo in photojournalism. Though Gaynor recovered quickly, the bullet stayed in his throat. Despite this, he continued as mayor. Some even wanted him to run for president.
Tammany Hall didn’t nominate William Jay Gaynor for reelection. However, he accepted a nomination from an independent group. He set sail for Europe again. On September 10 1913, William Jay Gaynor died on a deck chair. Doctors said it was a heart attack. He is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
The Fire Department of New York once had a fireboat named after William Jay Gaynor. It operated from 1914 to 1961. A bust of William Jay Gaynor stands in Cadman Plaza. It is flanked by allegorical figures. The inscription reads, “Ours is a government of laws not of men”.