List of Postmasters of New York City

Last updated

William Russell Willcox circa 1915-1916 William Russell Willcox circa 1915-1916 (cropped).jpg
William Russell Willcox circa 1915-1916

A post office may have operated in New York City as early as 1687. The United States Postal Service has no information on New York's postmasters prior to the year 1775. The New York City Post Office is first mentioned in Hugh Finlay's journal dated 1773 which lists Alexander Colden as the postmaster of New York City. Other sources indicate that Colden may have served as postmaster as early as 1753. [1] Postmasters are appointed by the President of the United States.

NameTitleDate appointedNotes and references
Alexander Colden Postmaster The date of appointment is not known.
John Holt PostmasterThe date of appointment is not known. He is listed as postmaster in a document written by Mary Katherine Goddard. [1]
Ebenezer Hazard PostmasterOctober 5, 1775He was appointed on October 5, 1775 according to his letter to Congress on November 14, 1776. [1] [2] He was later appointed as the United States Postmaster General.
William Bedlow PostmasterApril 5, 1784The date of appointment is not known. He submitted financial accounts for the post office from April 5, 1784 through October 1789. [1]
Sebastian Bauman PostmasterFebruary 16, 1790The date is for his first financial accounts to Congress. His appointment date is not known. [1]
Josias Ten Eyck PostmasterJanuary 1, 1804The date is for his first financial accounts to Congress. His appointment date is not known. [1]
Theodorus Bailey PostmasterJanuary 2, 1804He died in office.
Samuel Laurence Gouverneur Postmaster11/19/1828 [3]
Jonathan J. Coddington Postmaster07/05/1836 [4]
Col. James Lorimer Graham Postmaster03/14/1842 [4]
Robert Hunter Morris Postmaster05/03/1845He was later the Mayor of New York City
William Vermilye Brady Postmaster05/14/1849He was later the Mayor of New York City
Isaac Vanderbeck Fowler Postmaster04/01/1853
John Adams Dix Postmaster05/17/1860 [5]
William B. Taylor Postmaster01/16/1861
Abram Wakeman Postmaster03/21/1862
James Kelly Postmaster09/19/1864
Patrick Henry Jones Postmaster04/27/1869
Thomas Lemuel James Postmaster03/17/1873He was later appointed as the United States Postmaster General.
Henry G. Pearson Postmaster03/22/1881
Cornelius Van Cott Postmaster04/05/1889 [6]
Charles W. Dayton Postmaster06/05/1893
Cornelius Van Cott Postmaster05/12/1897This was his second non-consecutive term. He died in office. [6]
William Russell Willcox Postmaster12/07/1904He resigned office to become the head of the Public Service Board. [7]
Edward M. Morgan PostmasterAugust 14, 1907 [7] He was postmaster for the first airmail delivery.
Thomas Gedney Patten Postmaster03/16/1917
Edward M. Morgan Postmaster06/23/1921
John J. Kiely Acting Postmaster01/10/1925 [8]
John J. Kiely Postmaster01/22/1925He was promoted from Acting Postmaster to Postmaster. [8]
Albert Goldman Acting Postmaster08/31/1934 [9]
Albert Goldman Postmaster01/16/1935He was promoted from Acting Postmaster to Postmaster. Albert Goldman was the first Jewish postmaster of New York City. [9] [10]
George M. Bragalini Acting Postmaster04/30/1952
James B. Tunny Acting Postmaster03/31/1953
Colonel Harold Riegelman Acting Postmaster05/04/1953
John H. Sheehan Acting Postmaster08/04/1953
Robert H. Schaffer Acting Postmaster08/16/1954
Robert H. Schaffer Postmaster08/02/1955He was promoted from Acting Postmaster to Postmaster.
Howard Coonen Acting Postmaster05/31/1957
Robert K. Christenberry Acting Postmaster06/03/1958
Robert K. Christenberry Postmaster09/21/1959He was promoted from Acting Postmaster to Postmaster.
Eugene Pinson Acting Postmaster07/01/1966
John R. Strachan Acting Postmaster11/04/1966
John R. Strachan Postmaster06/26/1967He was promoted from Acting Postmaster to Postmaster.
George J. Hass Officer-In-Charge07/16/1971
Thomas V. Flanagan Officer-In-Charge07/01/1972
John R. Strachan Postmaster12/09/1972This was his second non-consecutive term.
George F. Shuman Officer-In-Charge01/13/1979
Paul E. Donovan Officer-In-Charge02/16/1979
George F. Shuman Postmaster05/19/1979He was promoted from Officer-In-Charge to Postmaster following the intervening appointment of Paul E. Donovan. [11]
John M. Nolan Postmaster01/05/1985
William J. Dowling Officer-In-Charge03/03/1989
John F. Kelly Postmaster11/04/1989
Sylvester Black Postmaster01/09/1993
Vinnie Malloy Postmaster12/19/1998
Robert A. Daruk, Sr. Officer-In-Charge02/28/2007
Robert A. Daruk, Sr. Postmaster03/17/2007He was promoted from Officer-In-Charge to Postmaster.
William J. Schnaars PostmasterJanuary 31, 2009
Lorraine G. Castellano PostmasterOctober 24, 2009
Aracelis M. Osorio Officer-In-ChargeJuly 3, 2010
Robert J. Brown PostmasterOctober 23, 2010
Elvin Mercado Officer-In-ChargeDecember 13, 2013
Elvin Mercado PostmasterMarch 8, 2014He was promoted from Officer-In-Charge to Postmaster.
Kevin J. Crocilla PostmasterFebruary 20, 2016

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Postmasters of New York City". United States Postal Service . Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  2. ↑ "Ebenezer Hazard to Dudley Woodbridge, 1781". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2011-05-10. In 1775 he was appointed deputy postmaster of New York City. Hazard advanced in his job and was named to the position of Surveyor General of the Constitutional Post Office in 1776, a role he still held when this letter was written. Shortly thereafter, in 1782, Hazard rose again, this time to the position of Postmaster General. ...
  3. ↑ "Samuel L. Gouverneur correspondence". New York Public Library . Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  4. 1 2 Wayne Cutler (1993). Correspondence of James K. Polk: September-December 1844. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. p. 347. ISBN   0-87049-777-4.
  5. ↑ "A Civil War Biography". Civil War Interactive. Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  6. 1 2 "Van Cott Dies. Worry Killed Him, Family Say. Apparently Rallied After Spending Night at Post Office. Temporary Successor, to be Named by Bondsmen, Likely to Stay Until After Election". New York Times . October 26, 1904. Retrieved 2011-05-10. Postmaster of the City of New York and Republican leader of the Fifth Assembly District, died suddenly of heart disease yesterday ...
  7. 1 2 "Edward M. Morgan made Postmaster. President Roosevelt Appoints Him to Succeed William R. Willcox. Was Once a Letter Carrier And Has Worked Up from the Bottom. His Selection Will Strengthen Taft Boom In This State". New York Times . August 15, 1907. Retrieved 2008-12-23. Edward M. Morgan was appointed Postmaster of New York City by President Roosevelt yesterday, succeeding William R. Willcox, who resigned to become head of the Public Service Board. The announcement of the appointment was made at Oyster Bay in the afternoon after Mr. Morgan had taken luncheon with the President. At the luncheon he was formally apprised of his appointment.
  8. 1 2 "John J. Kiely Dies. Ex-Postmasters, 74. Head of the Department Here, 1925-1934. Second to Rise to Office From Ranks. In Service Half Century. Helped to Establish a Hospital Fund for Postal Employees. Goldman in Tribute". New York Times . August 24, 1940. Retrieved 2014-01-26. John J. Kiely, postmaster of New York from 1925 to 1934, died yesterday morning at the Presbyterian Medical Center after a brief illness.
  9. 1 2 "Goldman Retires as Head Mailman. City Postmaster for 18 Years, He Acts Ahead of Deadline, 70th Birthday Next July". New York Times . Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  10. ↑ "Goldman Believed First Jew to Head New York's Post Office". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1934-08-16. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  11. ↑ "George F. Shuman". New York Times. July 22, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
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