Lehman, Herbert H. (Herbert Henry), 1878-1963

HERBERT H. LEHMAN, the forty-ninth governor of New York, was born in New York City on March 28, 1878. His education was attained at Sachs Collegiate Institute, and then at Williams College, where he earned an undergraduate degree in 1899 and a M.A. degree in 1921. Before entering into a political career, he established the Lehman Brothers Co., a successful investment banking business. He also served during World War I as a colonel in the U.S. Army. Lehman first entered politics in 1928, serving as chairman of the finance committee of the Democratic National Committee. He also served as the lieutenant governor of New York from 1929 to 1932. Lehman next secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote on November 8, 1932. He won reelection in 1934, 1936, and 1938. During his tenure, public utilities were regulated; a state racing commission was formed; an unemployment insurance system was initiated; and a constitutional amendment was sanctioned that lengthened the governor’s term to a four year term. Lehman resigned from the governor’s office on December 3, 1942. He then served as the director of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations, as well as serving as the director-general of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, a post he held from 1943 to 1946. In 1948 he served as a member of the Public Advisory Board of Economic Cooperation Administration; and from 1949 to 1957 was a member of the U.S. Senate. Governor Herbert H. Lehman passed away on December 5, 1963, and was buried in the Rensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.

<p>Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 – December 5, 1963) was a Democratic Party politician from New York. He served from 1933 until 1942 as the 45th Governor of New York and represented New York State in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until 1957.</p>

<p>He was born to a Reform Jewish family in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Babetta (née Newgass) and German-born immigrant Mayer Lehman, one of the three brothers who co-founded Lehman Brothers financial services firm. Herbert's father arrived from Rimpar, Germany, in 1848, settling in Montgomery, Alabama, where he engaged in the slave-era cotton business. As cotton was the most important crop of the Southern United States and global demand led to profitable business, the Lehman brothers became cotton factors, accepting cotton bales from customers as payment for their merchandise. Cotton trading eventually became the main thrust of their business. In 1867, Mayer and Emanuel moved the company's headquarters to New York City, and helped found the New York Cotton Exchange.</p>

<p>He attended The Sachs School, founded by Julius Sachs. In 1895, he graduated from Sachs Collegiate Institute in New York City, and in 1899, he graduated with a B.A. from Williams College. After college, Lehman worked in textile manufacturing, eventually becoming vice-president and treasurer of the J. Spencer Turner Company in Brooklyn. In 1908, he became a partner in the investment banking firm Lehman Brothers of New York City with his brother Arthur and cousin Philip. During World War I, he became a colonel on the U.S. Army general staff. By 1928, when he entered public service, he had withdrawn entirely from business.</p>