Homegrown
Politicians
63
was Chief Assistant United States Attorney, which position he held from 1931-1933. District Attorney for New York County.in 1937, he became known as a "Crime Buster". Governor of New York from 1942-1954, he ran unsuccessfully for President of the United States in 1944 against Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This campaign was the only time in United States history when both candidates came from the same county. Dewey also ran unsuccessfully for the Presidency in 1948 against Harry S. Truman. Ja:.rrtes Porrestal (1892-1949) was born in Beacon where he remained a lifelong resident. President of the Dillon--Read Company of New York City, he became Administ~ative Assistant to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Forrestal served as Under Secretary of the Navy from 1944-1947 and First Secretary of Defense from 19471949. Henry Morgenthau, Jr. (1891-1967) was born in New York City but became a resident of East Fishkill. He served as New York State Conservation Commissioner under Governor Franklin Roosevelt. Chairman of the Taconic State Park Commission, he was also Governor of the Farm Credit Administration in 1933. From 19331934, he served as the Under Secretary of the Treasury and as Secretary of the Treasury from 1934-1945. The men listed here are but a sampling of those Dutchess County residents who have dedicated themselves to the enrichment of the American way of life. There are others, too.numerous to mention. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said it best,
Dutchess County has spread aZZ over the United States, and the influence of the fine oZd stock that we have raised here is being feZt in our American citizenship in every part of the country. (Poughkeepsie, August, 1933) As election time draws round each November and voters ponder thetr political choices, Dutchess County res~ idents should indeed pause to reflect on the impact their choices in the past have had on all mankind.
