163rd New York State Legislature

The 163rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 8, 1941, to April 24, 1942, during the ninth and tenth years of Herbert H. Lehman's governorship, in Albany.

Background
Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, and amended in 1937, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were New York (nine districts), Kings (eight), Bronx (three), Erie (three), Monroe (two), Queens (two) and Westchester (two). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The American Labor Party endorsed the whole Democratic ticket, which included one Republican judge of the Court of Appeals. The Prohibition Party also nominated a ticket.

Elections
The New York state election, 1940, was held on November 5. All six statewide elective offices were carried by the nominees on the Democratic-American Labor fusion ticket. The approximate party strength at this election, as gathered from the results, was: Democrats 2,843,000; Republicans 2,837,000; American Labor 365,000; and Prohibition 5,000.

All three women legislators—State Senator Rhoda Fox Graves (Rep.), of Gouverneur; and Assemblywomen Jane H. Todd (Rep.), of Tarrytown, and Edith C. Cheney (Rep.), of Corning—were re-elected.

The New York state election, 1941, was held on November 4. Two vacancies in the State Senate and two vacancies in the State Assembly were filled.

On March 10, 1942, Mary A. Gillen, the widow of Assemblyman Michael J. Gillen, was elected to the seat previously held by her husband.

Sessions
The Legislature met for the first regular session (the 164th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 8, 1941; and adjourned at 2.30 a.m. on April 4.

Oswald D. Heck (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker.

Joe R. Hanley (Rep.) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.

On December 7, 1941, happened the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered World War II. Subsequently, some legislators resigned their seats to join the armed forces, among them Robert F. Wagner Jr., Phelps Phelps, Francis E. Dorn and Henry J. Latham.

The Legislature met for the second regular session (the 165th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1942; and adjourned on April 24.

Districts
• 1st District: Nassau and Suffolk counties

• 2nd and 3rd District: Parts of Queens County, i.e. the Borough of Queens

• 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn

• 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan

• 21st, 22nd and 23rd District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx

• 24th District: Richmond County, i.e. the Borough of Richmond (now the Borough of Staten Island), and Rockland County

• 25th District: Part of Westchester County

• 26th District: Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Mount Pleasant, Ossining and part of Yonkers; in Westchester County

• 27th District: Orange and Sullivan counties

• 28th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties

• 29th District: Delaware, Greene and Ulster counties

• 30th District: Albany County

• 31st District: Rensselaer County

• 32nd District: Saratoga and Schenectady counties

• 33rd District: Clinton, Essex, Warren and Washington counties

• 34th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties

• 35th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Lewis counties

• 36th District: Oneida County

• 37th District: Jefferson and Oswego counties

• 38th District: Onondaga County

• 39th District: Madison, Montgomery, Otsego and Schoharie counties

• 40th District: Broome, Chenango and Cortland counties

• 41st District: Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties

• 42nd District: Cayuga, Seneca and Wayne counties

• 43rd District: Ontario, Steuben and Yates counties

• 44th District: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming

• 45th and 46th District: Monroe County

• 47th District: Niagara and Orleans counties

• 48th, 49th and 50th District: Erie County

• 51st District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties

Members
The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Francis J. McCaffrey Jr and Charles O. Burney Jr changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of this Legislature. Assemblymen Carmine J. Marasco and William Kirnan were elected to fill vacancies in the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

Employees

 * Clerk: William S. King
 * Assistant Clerk: Fred J. Slater
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Harold W. Cole
 * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Henry Whitbeck
 * Principal Doorkeeper: Lynn Corman
 * Assistant Doorkeeper: Irving Hoag
 * Stenographer: John K. Marshall

Assemblymen
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

Employees

 * Clerk: Ansley B. Borkowski
 * Sergeant-at-Arms: Richard Schnor
 * First Assistant Doorkeeper: Joseph G. Bates
 * Second Assistant Doorkeeper: M. C. Mansolillo
 * Stenographer: Walter F. Berry