The Also-Rans: Thomas Dewey
Today it is uncommon for someone who has lost the race for the presidency as a candidate for one of the major parties to be nominated as that party's candidate again, but in the past it happened a number of times. One such "two-time loser" is Thomas Edward Dewey, the crime-busting prosecutor and longtime Governor of New York.
Dewey was born on March 24, 1902 in Owosso, Michigan. He served as Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954 and in two elections (1944 and 1948) he was the Republican candidate for President, but lost both times. Dewey led the liberal or moderate faction of the Republican Party, opposing the party's conservative faction led by Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft. Dewey had a following among the professional and business community of the Northeastern United States, which some called the "Eastern Establishment." This group supported most of the New Deal social-welfare reforms enacted during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and also supported the United Nations and the fight against communism and the Soviet Union. Dewey's successor as leader of the liberal Republicans was Nelson Rockefeller, who became governor of New York in 1959.
Dewey attended the University of Michigan and later attended Columbia University in 1925 where he graduated from law school. He practiced law in New York. In 1928 Dewey married Frances Hutt, a native of Sherman, Texas, who had briefly been a stage actress. After their marriage she dropped her acting career. They had two sons, Thomas E. Dewey, Jr. and John Martin Dewey. From 1938 until his death, his home was a large farm, called "Dapplemere," located near the town of Pawling some 65 miles north of New York City.
Dewey first served as a federal prosecutor, then started a lucrative private practice on Wall Street. He left his practice for an appointment as special prosecutor to look into corruption in New York City. Dewey made a name for himself as a prosecutor. He targetted large-scale criminal enterprises, especially extortion, the "numbers game", and prostitution. He pursued Tammany Hall leaders known for their ties to gangsters. One of his biggest prizes was gangster Dutch Schultz. In the course of the prosecution, Schultz tried to arrange Dewey's murder, but New York crime boss Lucky Luciano decided that Dewey's murder would provoke an all-out crackdown. Instead they had Schultz killed.
Dewey next turned his attention to Luciano. Dewey raided 80 houses of prostitution in the New York City area and arrested hundreds of prostitutes and "madams". Many of the prostitutes were willing to testify to avoid prison time. Three implicated Luciano as controller of organized prostitution in the New York/New Jersey area. In the greatest victory of his legal career, Dewey won the conviction of Luciano for the prostitution racket, with a sentence of 30 to 50 years.
Dewey did not restrict his prosecutions to gangsters. In 1936 Dewey helped indict and convict Richard Whitney, the former president of the New York Stock Exchange, for embezzlement. Dewey also led efforts to protect dockworkers and poultry farmers and workers from racketeering in New York. Elected district attorney of New York County in 1937, he became the Republican Party candidate for governor and won the post in 1942.
As Governor of New York, Dewey earned a reputation for efficiency and honesty and in 1944 he was chosen as presidential candidate against Franklin D. Roosevelt. The election took place during the Second World War and Dewey had an impossible task against a popular wartime leader and was beaten by 25,602,505 to 12,006,278. For taking up the party banner in 1944 under difficult circumstances, Dewey was given his party's nomination in 1948. He was expected to defeat the Democratic Party candidate, Harry Truman. The final result came as a surprise to many, who believed that Dewey's victory was a foregone conclusion. But in the opinion of many historians (such as David Pietrusza or Zachary Karabell), Dewey played it safe and waged a non-committal campaign designed to avoid offending any segment of the electorate. This turned out to be a mistake and Truman won by 24,105,812 to 21,970,065.
Dewey did not seek the nomination in 1952. Instead he backed Dwight Eisenhower in Ike's bid to win the Republican Party nomination and then the presidential election. At the end of his third term as governor of New York in 1955, Dewey retired from politics and returned to his law practice. He maintained a role as an elder statesman in the Republican Party, but saw that role decline with the rise in popularity of the GOP's conservative wing.
Frances Dewey died in the summer of 1970 after battling breast cancer for six years. Later in 1970 Dewey began to date actress Kitty Carlisle, and there was talk of marriage between them. However, he died suddenly of a massive heart attack on March 16, 1971, eight days before his 69th birthday, while vacationing in Miami, Florida, following a round of golf with Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski. Both he and his wife are buried in the town cemetery of Pawling, New York.
Dewey was born on March 24, 1902 in Owosso, Michigan. He served as Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954 and in two elections (1944 and 1948) he was the Republican candidate for President, but lost both times. Dewey led the liberal or moderate faction of the Republican Party, opposing the party's conservative faction led by Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft. Dewey had a following among the professional and business community of the Northeastern United States, which some called the "Eastern Establishment." This group supported most of the New Deal social-welfare reforms enacted during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and also supported the United Nations and the fight against communism and the Soviet Union. Dewey's successor as leader of the liberal Republicans was Nelson Rockefeller, who became governor of New York in 1959.
Dewey attended the University of Michigan and later attended Columbia University in 1925 where he graduated from law school. He practiced law in New York. In 1928 Dewey married Frances Hutt, a native of Sherman, Texas, who had briefly been a stage actress. After their marriage she dropped her acting career. They had two sons, Thomas E. Dewey, Jr. and John Martin Dewey. From 1938 until his death, his home was a large farm, called "Dapplemere," located near the town of Pawling some 65 miles north of New York City.
Dewey first served as a federal prosecutor, then started a lucrative private practice on Wall Street. He left his practice for an appointment as special prosecutor to look into corruption in New York City. Dewey made a name for himself as a prosecutor. He targetted large-scale criminal enterprises, especially extortion, the "numbers game", and prostitution. He pursued Tammany Hall leaders known for their ties to gangsters. One of his biggest prizes was gangster Dutch Schultz. In the course of the prosecution, Schultz tried to arrange Dewey's murder, but New York crime boss Lucky Luciano decided that Dewey's murder would provoke an all-out crackdown. Instead they had Schultz killed.
Dewey next turned his attention to Luciano. Dewey raided 80 houses of prostitution in the New York City area and arrested hundreds of prostitutes and "madams". Many of the prostitutes were willing to testify to avoid prison time. Three implicated Luciano as controller of organized prostitution in the New York/New Jersey area. In the greatest victory of his legal career, Dewey won the conviction of Luciano for the prostitution racket, with a sentence of 30 to 50 years.
Dewey did not restrict his prosecutions to gangsters. In 1936 Dewey helped indict and convict Richard Whitney, the former president of the New York Stock Exchange, for embezzlement. Dewey also led efforts to protect dockworkers and poultry farmers and workers from racketeering in New York. Elected district attorney of New York County in 1937, he became the Republican Party candidate for governor and won the post in 1942.
As Governor of New York, Dewey earned a reputation for efficiency and honesty and in 1944 he was chosen as presidential candidate against Franklin D. Roosevelt. The election took place during the Second World War and Dewey had an impossible task against a popular wartime leader and was beaten by 25,602,505 to 12,006,278. For taking up the party banner in 1944 under difficult circumstances, Dewey was given his party's nomination in 1948. He was expected to defeat the Democratic Party candidate, Harry Truman. The final result came as a surprise to many, who believed that Dewey's victory was a foregone conclusion. But in the opinion of many historians (such as David Pietrusza or Zachary Karabell), Dewey played it safe and waged a non-committal campaign designed to avoid offending any segment of the electorate. This turned out to be a mistake and Truman won by 24,105,812 to 21,970,065.
Dewey did not seek the nomination in 1952. Instead he backed Dwight Eisenhower in Ike's bid to win the Republican Party nomination and then the presidential election. At the end of his third term as governor of New York in 1955, Dewey retired from politics and returned to his law practice. He maintained a role as an elder statesman in the Republican Party, but saw that role decline with the rise in popularity of the GOP's conservative wing.
Frances Dewey died in the summer of 1970 after battling breast cancer for six years. Later in 1970 Dewey began to date actress Kitty Carlisle, and there was talk of marriage between them. However, he died suddenly of a massive heart attack on March 16, 1971, eight days before his 69th birthday, while vacationing in Miami, Florida, following a round of golf with Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski. Both he and his wife are buried in the town cemetery of Pawling, New York.