James J. Walker | |
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97th Mayor of New York City[1] | |
In office January 1, 1926 – September 1, 1932 |
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Preceded by | John F. Hylan |
Succeeded by | Joseph V. McKee |
Personal details | |
Born | New York City, United States |
June 19, 1881
Died | November 18, 1946 | (aged 65)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Janet Walker (1st wife); Betty Compton (2nd wife) |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
James John Walker, often known as Jimmy Walker and colloquially as Beau James (June 19, 1881 – November 18, 1946), was the mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. During a corruption scandal he was forced to resign.
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Walker was the son of Irish-born William Walker, a Democratic assemblyman and alderman from Greenwich Village, belying certain accounts of Walker's childhood that stated he grew up in poverty. Before entering politics, the young Jimmy Walker worked as a songwriter, his most popular composition being "Will You Love Me in December (as You Do in May)?" He attended Xavier High School (New York City), and New York Law School.
Walker was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1910 to 1914, and of the New York State Senate from 1914 to 1925. He was President pro tempore of the New York State Senate from 1923 to 1924.
In 1926 he became Mayor of New York City, having defeated incumbent John F. Hylan in the 1925 Democratic primary with the help of Governor Alfred E. Smith and Tammany Hall. The initial years of his mayoralty were a prosperous time for the city, with many public works projects. However, Walker's term was also known for the proliferation of speakeasies during the Prohibition era. His affairs with "chorus girls" were widely known, and he left his wife, Janet, for showgirl Betty Compton without impairing his popularity. He managed to maintain the five-cent subway fare despite a threatened strike.
Walker won re-election by an overwhelming margin in 1929, defeating Republican Fiorello La Guardia and Socialist Norman Thomas. Walker's fortunes turned downward with the economy – due to the stock-market crash of 1929. Patrick Joseph Hayes, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, denounced him, implying that the immorality of the mayor, both personal and political in tolerating "girlie magazines" and casinos, was a cause of the economic downturn.
Increasing social unrest led to investigations into corruption within his administration, and he was eventually forced to testify before the investigative committee of Judge Samuel Seabury, the Seabury Commission. He was accused of accepting large bribes from businessmen seeking contracts or favorable legislation.
Facing pressure from Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Walker resigned from office on September 1, 1932, and promptly fled for Europe until the danger of criminal prosecution appeared remote. There, he married Betty Compton.
After his return to the United States, for a time Walker acted as head of Majestic Records. He died at the age of 65, in 1946.[2] He was interred in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.
When Walker was a member of the New York State Senate, he sponsored the "Walker Law" which legalized boxing in New York. He was honored a number of times over the years by the boxing community. Walker is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and was given the Edward J. Neil Trophy in 1945 for his service to the sport.
A romanticized version of Walker's tenure as mayor was presented in the 1957 film Beau James, starring Bob Hope.[3] The film was based on a biography of Walker, also titled Beau James, written by Gene Fowler. This same book was also the basis for Jimmy a stage musical about Walker that had a brief Broadway run from October 1969 to January 1970, starring Frank Gorshin as Walker and Anita Gillette as Betty Compton.[4] There is also a song about Walker in the stage musical Fiorello!, "Gentleman Jimmy".[5]
Footage of Jimmy Walker is used in the 1983 Woody Allen film, Zelig, with Walker being one the guests during Zelig's visit to Randolph Hearst's mansion, San Simeon.
The novel It Can't Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis, lists the exiles in Paris as "Jimmy Walker, and a few ex-presidents from South America and Cuba."[6]
Mayor Walker was referenced in the December 6, 2010 episode of the ABC (USA) television series, Castle.
The political and criminal activity surrounding Walker's 1929 campaign features heavily in Tom Bradby's 2009 novel 'Blood Money'.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jimmy Walker |
New York Assembly | ||
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Preceded by John Eagleton |
New York State Assembly, New York County 5th District 1910–1914 |
Succeeded by Maurice McDonald |
New York State Senate | ||
Preceded by James McClelland |
New York State Senate, 13th District 1915–1918 |
Succeeded by John J. Boylan |
Preceded by Jacob Koenig |
New York State Senate, 12th District 1919–1925 |
Succeeded by Elmer Quinn |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by James A. Foley |
Minority Leader of the New York State Senate 1919–1922 |
Succeeded by Clayton R. Lusk |
Preceded by Clayton R. Lusk |
President pro tempore of the New York State Senate 1923–1924 |
Succeeded by John Knight |
Preceded by Clayton R. Lusk |
Minority Leader of the New York State Senate 1925 |
Succeeded by Bernard Downing |
Preceded by John F. Hylan |
Mayor of New York City 1926—1932 |
Succeeded by Joseph V. McKee |
Awards | ||
Preceded by Benny Leonard |
Edward J. Neil Trophy 1945 |
Succeeded by Tony Zale |
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James Edwin "Jimmy" Walker (1913 – December 22, 1943) was an American football and basketball coach. Walker played both basketball and football for the University of Alabama before he took his first coaching job upon graduation at El Dorado High School. After only one year at El Dorado, Walker went on to serve as head basketball and as an assistant football coach at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). During his tenure as head coach of the Keydets, Walker compiled an overall record of 27–39. In 1942, Walker resigned his coaching positions and joined the United States Navy. Walker died at the age of 30 in Brazil on December 22, 1943, as a result of injuries sustained as part of his military service.
Walker was born in 1913 in Anniston, Alabama. In 1925, he moved with his family to Holt where he became a star athlete at Holt High School. After high school, Walker enrolled at the University of Alabama where he would play on both the basketball and football teams. As a member of the football team, he was a substitute on the 1934 squad that won both the Rose Bowl and national championship. In his senior season, Walker was selected as captain of the 1935 squad. As a member of the basketball team, Walker played forward and was named All-SEC for both the 1933–34 and 1934–35 seasons and as Kellogg All America in 1934–35. He was also named captain of the 1934–35 squad.
James William Walker (born January 16, 1979) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. After playing in 187 events without a win on the PGA Tour, Walker won three times in the first eight events of the 2014 PGA Tour season.
Walker was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After high school, he attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he played on the varsity golf team, the Baylor Bears. Walker turned professional in 2001, at age 22.
Walker played on the Nationwide Tour full-time in 2003 and 2004. In 2004 he won the first two professional events of his career at the BellSouth Panama Championship and the Chitimacha Louisiana Open. Walker ended the 2004 season as the Nationwide Tour's leading money winner and won Player of the Year honors, while in the process earning his PGA Tour card for the first time.
Walker only played in nine PGA Tour events in 2005 due to injury, making only three cuts and a best finish of 17th at the MCI Heritage. He played his first full season on the PGA Tour in 2006, where he played in 21 events. He did not enjoy a very successful season, making nine cuts and recording only one top-25 finish. He ended the season 202nd on the money list, which was not enough to retain his playing rights. Walker went back to the Nationwide Tour in 2007, where he added a third title to his name at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic and finished in 25th place on the Nationwide Tour's money list, which qualified him for a PGA Tour card for the 2008 season. Again, Walker endured a difficult season, making 13 cuts in 24 events, but with only three top-25 finishes. He ended the year 192nd on the FedEx Cup Standings and entered the year end Q-school to try and regain his card. He finished in a tie for 11th, which was enough to regain his card for the 2009 PGA Tour season.
James, Jim, Jimmie, or Jimmy Walker may refer to:
James Barry "Jimmy" Walker (born 9 July 1973) is an English professional football goalkeeper who is currently goalkeeping coach at Gillingham.
Walker was born on 9 July 1973 at 3.00am in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, weighing 7lbs 13oz. His father, Barry, was employed as a miner before working in an office, while his mother ran her own hairdressing salon. He has a younger sister, Elizabeth. When Walker was eleven years old, his parents divorced, and he continued to live with his mother. Within a year, his father married again to his step-mother, Hilary.
Walker joined Notts County as a trainee in July 1991, but failed to make a first appearance and moved to Walsall in August 1993, making his debut in the same month. He went on to make 475 appearances in all competitions for Walsall in eleven years, the most by any goalkeeper for the club, and became a cult hero at Bescot Stadium. While at Walsall, he was a key player in three promotion seasons, and won their Player of the Season award twice. He was awarded a testimonial in the summer of 2003. Walker's popularity proved such that an autobiography was commissioned to coincide with his testimonial season; ghosted by Walsall programme editor, Andrew Poole, it proved to be a relative success with fans of Walsall and of West Ham United.
Jimmy Walker (born 1925) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a winger for Renfrew, Hearts, Partick Thistle and Third Lanark. Walker represented Scotland once, in January 1946. He was born in Detroit.