Basil Paterson
Basil Alexander Paterson (b. April 27, 1926[1]), a labor lawyer, is a longtime political leader in New York and Harlem and father of the 55th Governor of New York, David Paterson. His mother was Jamaican,[2] and his father was Carriacouan.[3][4][5][6]
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Early life[edit]
Paterson was born in Harlem on April 27, 1926, the son of Leonard James and Evangeline Alicia (Rondon) Paterson.[7] His father was born on the island of Carriacou in the Grenadines and arrived in the United States aboard the S.S. Vestris on May 16, 1917 in New York City.[6] His mother was born in Kingston, Jamaica and arrived in the United States on September 9, 1919 aboard the S.S. Vestnorge in Philadelphia with a final destination of New York City.[2] A stenographer by profession,[2] the former Miss Rondon once served as a secretary for Marcus Garvey.[1]
Teenage years and education[edit]
In 1942, at the age of 16, Basil Paterson graduated from De Witt Clinton High School in the Bronx. He was shaped by his experiences with racism early on. "I got out of high school when I was 16," Paterson told New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, "and the first real job I had was with a wholesale house in the old Port Authority building, down on 18th Street. We'd pack and load these trucks that went up and down in huge elevators. Every year there would be a Christmas party for the employees at some local hotel. Those of us who worked in the shipping department were black. We got paid not to go to the party."[8] He attended college at St. John's University, but his studies were interrupted by a two-year stint in the U.S. Army during World War II. After serving honorably, he returned to St. John's to complete his undergraduate studies. While there he was very active in social and community service organizations, among them the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity., joining the ranks of the Omicron chapter of New York (now at Columbia University) in 1947. Paterson graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology in 1948. He was later admitted to St. John's Law School, where he received a Juris Doctor degree in 1951.[1][9]
Political career[edit]
Paterson became involved in Democratic politics in Harlem in the 1950s and 1960s. A member of the "Gang of Four" – with former New York Mayor David Dinkins, former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, and Congressman Charles Rangel – Paterson has been a leader of the "Harlem Clubhouse", which has dominated Harlem politics since the 1960s.[10]
In 1965, Paterson was elected to the New York State Senate representing the Upper West Side of New York City and Harlem.[8] He gave up his Senate seat in 1970 to run for Lieutenant Governor of New York, as the running mate of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg. The Goldberg/Paterson ticket lost to the Republican ticket of incumbent Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and Lt. Gov. Malcolm Wilson.
In 1978, Paterson was appointed as a Deputy Mayor of New York City by then Mayor Ed Koch. He stepped down as deputy mayor in 1979 to become Secretary of State of New York, the first black person in the post, and served until the end of the Hugh Carey administration in 1982.
Currently, Paterson is a member of the law firm of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C., where he is co-chair of the firm's labor law practice.[9]
Paterson is the father of former New York Governor David Paterson, who was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2006 on a ticket with Gov. Eliot Spitzer. David Paterson succeeded to the governor's office upon Spitzer's resignation on March 17, 2008. When his son became lieutenant governor, Basil Paterson said that fact may actually "get in the way" of his livelihood as a negotiator and lawyer for the Hospital Workers and Teamsters unions.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Basil A. Paterson Biography". United States: The HistoryMakers. 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- ^ a b c "Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1945 [database on-line]". United States: The Generations Network. 1919-09-09. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
- ^ Best, Tony (2008-03-16). "Paterson claims Caribbean roots". The Daily Nation (Barbados). Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ "New NY Govenor [sic] is son of Caribbean nationals". Barbados: Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2008-03-15. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ "World War I Draft Registration Card [database on-line]". United States: The Generations Network. 1917-06-05. Archived from the original on 17 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ^ a b "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]". United States: The Generations Network. 1917-05-16. Archived from the original on 17 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ^ Phelps, Shirelle (editor) (1998). Who's Who Among African Americans (11th Edition). Detroit, Michigan, London: Gale Research. p. 1005. ISBN 0-7876-2469-1.
- ^ a b Herbert, Bob (2008-03-15). "The Winds of Albany". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ a b "Basil A. Paterson". United States: Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- ^ Schapiro, Rich (2009-12-27). "Harlem 'trailblazer', former World War II Tuskegee Airmen Percy Sutton dies". Daily News (New York).
- ^ Roberts, Sam (2006-12-27). "Paterson & Son, Offices in Harlem and Albany". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
External links[edit]
- Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C. - Biography Official Site
- Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C. - Labor Law Practice
| New York State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bernard Gordon |
New York State Senate, 31st District 1966 |
Succeeded by Ivan Warner |
| Preceded by Paul Bookson |
New York State Senate, 27th District 1967–1970 |
Succeeded by Sidney von Luther |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Howard J. Samuels |
Democratic Party Nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New York 1970 |
Succeeded by Mary Anne Krupsak |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Mario Cuomo |
Secretary of State of New York 1979 - 1983 |
Succeeded by Gail Shaffer |
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