New York State Treasurer

The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the new Department of Audit and Control headed to the New York State Comptroller.[1]

History

In 1776, the New York Provincial Congress appointed Peter Van Brugh Livingston Treasurer to disburse the monies raised and issued in the revolutionary operations of the day.[2]

After the establishment of the state government, the Treasurer was appointed by special act of the New York State Legislature for short periods.

Under the New York State Constitution of 1821, the Treasurer was elected by joint ballot of the State Legislature.

Under the Constitution of 1846, the office became elective by general election, and the Treasurer was elected with the other state cabinet officers in odd years to a two-year term, serving in the second year of the governor in office and the first year of the succeeding governor. The Treasurer was elected in 1895 to a three-year term, and subsequently was elected in even years and served a two-year term concurrently with the governor until the end of 1926.

New York State Treasurers

Image Name Took office Left office Party Notes
Peter Van Brugh Livingston 1776 1778 appointed by Provincial Congress
Gerard Bancker April 1, 1778 1798
Robert McClellan March 16, 1798 January 31, 1803 Federalist resigned after defalcation
Abraham G. Lansing February 8, 1803 February 5, 1808 Dem.-Rep./Lewisite
David Thomas February 5, 1808 February 8, 1810 Dem.-Rep./Clintonian
Abraham G. Lansing February 8, 1810 February 18, 1812 Federalist
David Thomas February 18, 1812 February 10, 1813 Dem.-Rep.
Charles Z. Platt February 10, 1813 February 12, 1817 Federalist
Gerrit L. Dox February 12, 1817 January 29, 1821 Dem.-Rep.
Benjamin Knower January 29, 1821 November 3, 1824 Dem.-Rep./Bucktail resigned
Abraham Keyser, Jr. November 3, 1824 February 16, 1825 Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Gamaliel H. Barstow February 16, 1825 February 14, 1826 Dem.-Rep./Clintonian
Abraham Keyser, Jr. February 14, 1826 February 5, 1838 D-R/Buckt.-Jacksonian-Dem.
Gamaliel H. Barstow February 5, 1838 February 4, 1839 Whig resigned
Jacob Haight February 4, 1839 February 7, 1842 Whig
Thomas Farrington February 7, 1842 February 3, 1845 Dem./Barnburner
Benjamin Enos February 3, 1845 February 2, 1846 Dem./Hunker
Thomas Farrington February 2, 1846 December 31, 1847 Dem./Barnburner legislated out of office by the Constitution of 1846
Alvah Hunt January 1, 1848 December 31, 1851 Whig first Treasurer elected by general ballot, two terms
James M. Cook January 1, 1852 November 20, 1852 Whig election contested by Democratic candidate
Benjamin Welch, Jr. November 20, 1852 December 31, 1853 Democratic declared elected by the New York Supreme Court, and took office for the remainder of the term
Elbridge G. Spaulding January 1, 1854 December 31, 1855 Whig
Stephen Clark January 1, 1856 December 31, 1857 American
Isaac V. Vanderpoel January 1, 1858 December 31, 1859 Democratic
Philip Dorsheimer January 1, 1860 December 31, 1861 Republican
William B. Lewis January 1, 1862 December 31, 1863 Union
George W. Schuyler January 1, 1864 December 31, 1865 Union
Joseph Howland January 1, 1866 December 31, 1867 Republican
Wheeler H. Bristol January 1, 1868 December 31, 1871 Democratic two terms
Thomas Raines January 1, 1872 June 1, 1874 Republican became a Liberal Republican in 1872, and was re-elected on Democratic ticket, declared incapacitated after nervous breakdown
Abraham Lansing June 1, 1874 August 17, 1874 Democratic temporarily appointed during illness of Raines
Thomas Raines August 19, 1874 December 31, 1875 Democratic reinstated after recovering his mental health
Charles N. Ross January 1, 1876 December 31, 1877 Democratic
James Mackin January 1, 1878 December 31, 1879 Democratic
Nathan D. Wendell January 1, 1880 December 31, 1881 Republican
Robert A. Maxwell January 1, 1882 December 31, 1885 Democratic two terms
Lawrence J. Fitzgerald January 1, 1886 December 31, 1889 Democratic two terms
Elliot Danforth January 1, 1890 December 31, 1893 Democratic two terms
Addison B. Colvin January 1, 1894 December 31, 1898 Republican two terms (1894-95, 1896-98)
John P. Jaeckel January 1, 1899 December 31, 1902 Republican two terms
John G. Wickser January 1, 1903 December 31, 1904 Republican
John G. Wallenmeier, Jr. January 1, 1905 December 31, 1906 Republican
Julius Hauser January 1, 1907 December 31, 1908 Dem./Ind. League
Thomas B. Dunn January 1, 1909 December 31, 1910 Republican
John J. Kennedy January 1, 1911 February 15, 1914 Democratic committed suicide during his second term
George W. Batten February 15, 1914 February 25, 1914 Democratic as Deputy Treasurer acted until the election of a successor
Homer D. Call February 25, 1914 December 31, 1914 Progressive/Dem. elected by State Legislature to fill unexpired term
James L. Wells January 1, 1915 December 31, 1920 Republican three terms
N. Monroe Marshall January 1, 1921 December 31, 1922 Republican
George K. Shuler January 1, 1923 December 31, 1924 Democratic
Lewis H. Pounds January 1, 1925 December 31, 1926 Republican last Treasurer, department merged into Comptroller's office

Notes

  1. ^ [1] Department of Audit and Control, at NY Archives
  2. ^ Hough, Franklin Benjamin (1858). The New York Civil List: Containing the names and origin of the civil divisions, and the names and dates of election or appointment of the principal state and county officers from the Revolution to the present time. Albany: Weed, Parsons and Co. pp. 35-36. Retrieved 30 October 2019.