Hugo Rogers
{{Short description|American politician (1899–1974)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| birthname = Hugo E. Rogers
| image =
| caption =
| office = 16th Borough President of Manhattan
| term_start = January 1, 1946
| term_end = December 31, 1949
| predecessor = Edgar J. Nathan
| successor = Robert F. Wagner Jr.
| birth_date = {{birth-date|November 26, 1899}}
| birth_place = The Bronx, New York City
| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|12|14|1899|11|26}}
| party = Democratic
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = New York University School of Engineering
New York Law School
| footnotes =
}}
Hugo E. Rogers (November 26, 1899 – December 14, 1974) was a New York politician who served as the 16th Borough President of Manhattan from 1946 to 1949{{cite news | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1974/12/16/79884924.pdf | title=Hugo Rogers, 75, Tammany Leader | work=The New York Times | date=December 16, 1949 | accessdate=October 25, 2011 | location=New York, New York}} and was a leader of Tammany Hall.
Early life and career
Rogers was born in New York in 1899 and attended Stuyvesant High School. He went on to graduate from the New York University School of Engineering and the New York Law School.{{cite news | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1945/11/07/88310915.pdf | title=New Borough Head served in 2 wars | work=The New York Times | date=November 7, 1945 | accessdate=October 26, 2011 | location=New York, NY}} Rogers served in the infantry in World War I, and was honorably discharged as a sergeant.
Rogers served as a counsel to the Democratic organization in New York's 17th congressional district, located in Harlem, and as counsel and secretary to the Democratic majority leader of the New York State Assembly in 1935. He also served for 14 years on the Tammany Hall law committee.
He enlisted again in 1942 and rose from a second lieutenant to a major, serving at the New York Point of Embarkation.{{cite news | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1948/01/13/85191715.pdf | title=Borough President of Manhattan Honored | work=The New York Times | date=January 13, 1948 | accessdate=October 26, 2011 | location=New York, NY}}
Borough President
As a candidate, Rogers was an officer in uniform and could therefore not participate in political campaigns or give speeches. Instead, his speeches were made for him by other supporters.
In 1948, against the wishes of New York mayor William O'Dwyer, Rogers was named leader of the Tammany Hall organization, replacing O'Dwyer ally Frank J. Sampson.{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4BgaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MyUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3758,1453642&dq=hugo-rogers+jew&hl=en | title=O'Dwyer Gets Party Rebuff | work=The Milwaukee Journal | date=July 12, 1948 | agency=Associated Press | accessdate=October 26, 2011 | location=New York, NY}} In 1949, however, he was pushed out of the position by the mayor and replaced by Carmine G. DeSapio. Rogers was then pressured out of running for reelection, although he argued that his departure from the race was only in the interest of party unity.{{cite news | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1949/07/23/86777703.pdf | title=Rogers quits race for Borough Head; only pawn, he says | work=The New York Times | date=July 23, 1949 | accessdate=October 26, 2011 | author=Hagerty, James G. | location=New York, NY}}
Later life
Honors and awards
In 1948, Rogers received the Legion of Merit, presented to him by General Courtney Hodges at a ceremony at Fort Jay, on Governors Island. In 1969 he was a winner of the New York University Alumni Meritorious Service Medal.{{cite news | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/05/11/88993351.pdf | title=5 N.Y.U. Alumni Honored For Meritorious Service | work=The New York Times | date=May 11, 1969 | accessdate=October 26, 2011 | location=New York, NY}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall}}
{{Manhattan Borough President}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Hugo}}
Category:Manhattan borough presidents
Category:New York (state) Democrats
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Category:American military personnel of World War I
Category:New York Law School alumni
Category:Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni