Abraham Beame

The Honorable Abraham Beame
104th Mayor of New York City
In office January 1, 1974 – December 31, 1977
Preceded by	John V. Lindsay
Succeeded by	Edward I. Koch
36th and 38th New York City Comptroller
In office January 1, 1970 – December 31, 1973
Preceded by	Mario Procaccino
Succeeded by	Harrison J. Goldin
In office January 1, 1962 – December 31, 1965
Preceded by	Lawrence E. Gerosa
Succeeded by	Mario Procaccino
Personal details
Born	Abraham David Birnbaum (1906-03-20)March 20, 1906 London, United Kingdom
Died	New York, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Ingerman
Religion	Jewish

Abraham David "Abe" Beame (March 20, 1906 – February 10, 2001) was Mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977 as a Democrat. As such, he presided over the city during the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, during which the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy.

Early life and career

Beame was the first mayor of New York City who was a practicing Jew (earlier Mayor Fiorello La Guardia was of Jewish ancestry on his mother's side, but was Episcopalian). He was born Abraham David Birnbaum in London, the son of Esther (née Goldfarb) and Philip Birnbaum, Polish Jewish immigrants. Beame grew up on New York's Lower East Side. While still a student at City College of New York, he co-founded an accounting firm, Beame & Greidinger. After graduation he also taught accounting from 1929 to 1946 at Richmond Hill High School, and eventually accounting and commercial law at Rutgers University during 1944 and 1945. He became city budget director from 1952 to 1961. He was a Democrat and was elected to two terms as city comptroller in 1961 and 1969. In 1965 he was the Democratic nominee for Mayor, but was defeated by the Republican candidate, John V. Lindsay. Beame was a "clubhouse" or machine politician, a product of the Brooklyn wing of the regular Democratic organization (that borough's equivalent of Manhattan's Tammany Hall) as opposed to the "reform" Democrats who entered New York City politics in the 1950s.

Mayoral challenges

After defeating State Senator John Marchi in the 1973 mayoral election, Beame faced the worst fiscal crisis in the city's history and spent the bulk of his term attempting to ward off bankruptcy. He slashed the city workforce, froze salaries, and reconfigured the budget, which proved unsatisfactory until reinforced by actions from newly created state-sponsored entities and the granting of federal funds. He also served during the 1977 blackout crisis.

After a chaotic four years as mayor, he ran for a second term in 1977 and finished third in the Democratic primary, behind U.S. Representative Ed Koch and New York Secretary of State Mario Cuomo. Beame outpolled former Congresswoman Bella Abzug, Congressman Herman Badillo and Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton in the 1977 primary.

When he left office in 1977, the city budget had changed from a $1.5 billion deficit to a surplus of $200 million. He was succeeded by Ed Koch as mayor.

Personal life

Abraham Beame was 5' 2" tall.

Beame died on February 10, 2001 at the age of 94 because of open-heart surgery at New York University Medical Center.

See also

• Timeline of New York City, 1970s

External links

• La Guardia and Wagner Archives/Abraham D. Beame Collection
• La Guardia and Wagner Archives
• Remarks at the Funeral Service for Mayor Abraham Beame by Rudolph W. Giuliani
• New York City's first Jewish mayor
• Oral history
• History of Baruch College: 12 Who Made It Big: Abraham D. Beame '28

Political offices
Preceded by Lawrence E. Gerosa	New York City Comptroller 1962–1965	Succeeded by Mario Procaccino
Preceded by Mario Procaccino	New York City Comptroller 1970–1973	Succeeded by Harrison J. Goldin
Preceded by John V. Lindsay	Mayor of New York City 1974–1977	Succeeded by Edward I. Koch
Party political offices
Preceded by Robert F. Wagner, Jr.	Democratic Nominee for Mayor of New York City 1965	Succeeded by Mario Procaccino
Preceded by Mario Procaccino	Democratic Nominee for Mayor of New York City 1973	Succeeded by Edward I. Koch