William M. Feigenbaum
William M. Feigenbaum | |
|---|---|
 Feigenbaum c. 1917 | |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 6th Kings district | |
| In office January 1, 1918 – December 31, 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Nathan D. Shapiro |
| Succeeded by | Martin Solomon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1886 Antwerp, Belgium |
| Died | April 23, 1949 (aged 62) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Socialist (before 1936) American Labor (after 1936) |
| Other political affiliations | Social Democratic Federation (after 1936) |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | Columbia University (A.M.) |
| Occupation | Statistician, journalist, politician |
William Morris Feigenbaum (December 25, 1886 – April 23, 1949) was a Belgian-born Jewish-American statistician, journalist and politician from New York. He served as a Socialist member of the New York State Assembly in 1918.
Life
[edit]Feigenbaum was born on Christmas Day 1886, in Antwerp, Belgium, the son of Benjamin Feigenbaum[1][2] and Matilda (Kaminsky) Feigenbaum, both originally from Warsaw. The family emigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn where he attended the public schools and Boys High School. He graduated A.B. from Columbia College in 1907, and A.M. from Columbia University in 1908. He also took courses at Dartmouth College, Wisconsin University and National University School of Law. From 1909 to 1912, he worked in the Bureau of Statistics and Accounts of the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington, D.C. In 1912, he returned to New York and worked for the New York Public Service Commission (1st D.).[3]
Like his father, Feigenbaum was a member of the Socialist Party of America. In November 1916, he ran for Congress in the 10th District, but was defeated by the incumbent Republican Reuben L. Haskell.[4]
Standing (L-R): Abraham Beckerman, Barnet Wolff, Alexander Braunstein, Algernon Lee, Baruch Charney Vladeck, Adolph Held, and Maurice Calman.
Seated: August Claessens, William Feigenbaum, Elmer Rosenberg, Louis Waldman, Joseph Whitehorn, Jacob Panken, Abraham Shiplacoff, William Karlin, Samuel Orr, Charles B. Garfinkel, Benjamin Gitlow, and Joseph A. Weil.
In November 1917, he was elected to the New York State Assembly (Kings County, 6th District), defeating the incumbent Republican Nathan D. Shapiro. Feigenbaum polled 3,694 votes, Shapiro polled 3,184 votes, and Democrat Martin Solomon polled 2,217.[5] Feigenbaum was one of ten Socialist members of the 141st New York State Legislature in 1918.
After losing reelection in 1918,[6] Feigenbaum became the associated editor of The New Leader, and wrote for several newspapers and political magazines. He was again an unsuccessful candidate for the Assembly in 1919, 1922 and 1923, as well as for Congress in 1924, 1926, and 1928, and for State Senate in 1930,[1] 1932[7] and 1934.[6]
After the Old Guard faction of the Socialist Party broke away in 1936, Feigenbaum joined them in forming the Social Democratic Federation.[8] He was later involved with the American Labor Party.[9]
Feigenbaum died on April 23, 1949, at the Montgomery Nursing Home in Brooklyn.[10]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b Feigenbaum Dies; Pioneer Socialist; Had Been Long Ill in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on November 10, 1932
- ^ "Funeral Services Sunday for Feigenbaum, Socialist Leader | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". www.jta.org. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
- ^ New York Red Book (1918; pg. 148)
- ^ BROOKLYN VETERANS WILL BE MISSED AT ALBANY THIS WINTER; Three Socialists from Brooklyn in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on December 23, 1917
- ^ The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac (1918; pg. 473)
- ^ a b "Feigenbaum, William M." ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ SOCIALISTS TO PUSH STATE SENATE RACE in the New York Times on August 16, 1933 (subscription required)
- ^ "Left Wing of Socialists achieves sweeping victory". Buffalo Courier-Express. Buffalo. 18 April 1936. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Dubinsky to Address Rally Of Labor Party Branch Here". Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn. 30 October 1936. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ W. Feigenbaum, Newsman, Politico in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on April 24, 1949
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1886 births
- 1949 deaths
- American people of Belgian-Jewish descent
- Politicians from Brooklyn
- Members of the New York State Assembly
- Socialist Party of America politicians from New York (state)
- Belgian emigrants to the United States
- Belgian Jews
- Belgian people of Polish-Jewish descent
- Columbia College (New York) alumni
- 20th-century American newspaper editors
- Boys High School (Brooklyn) alumni
- 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature