James Joseph Delaney (March 19, 1901 – May 24, 1987) was an American politician from New York. He was a member of the Democratic Party and served 16 terms in the House of Representatives from 1945 to 1947 and from 1949 to 1978. Biography Early life Delaney was born in New York City on March 19, 1901. He attended public school in Long Island City, Queens. In 1931, he graduated from the law department of St. John's College in Brooklyn with a LL.B. and was admitted to the bar in 1933. He worked as an assistant district attorney of Queens County from 1936 until his election in 1944. Early Career in Congress Delaney was elected as a Democrat to the 79th Congress. In 1944, much of what was the 6th district was shifted to the 10th district taking Rep. Andrew Lawrence Somers with it. Delaney ran for the open 6th district seat and defeated Republican Otto Schuler. Delaney suffered his only defeat in 1946. With President Harry S. Truman's popularity at a low point, the Republican Party gained 55 seats with Robert Nodar Jr. defeating Delaney. He regained the seat two years later in 1948 and won 14 consecutive elections afterwards. During the late 1950s, after a series of lurid magazine articles and Hollywood films helped to sensationalize youth gangs and violence, Delaney was one of the first congressmen to author legislation banning automatic-opening or switchblade knives in 1954. On April 17, 1958, Delaney stated, "Every day our newspapers report numerous muggings and attacks, most of them involving knives. Can we sit by complacently and ignore the bloodshed in our streets?" The ban on switchblade knives was eventually enacted into law as the Switchblade Knife Act of 1958. Rep. Delaney and other congressmen supporting the Switchblade Knife Act believed that by stopping the importation and interstate sales of automatic knives (effectively halting sales of new switchblades), the law would reduce youth gang violence by blocking access to what had become a symbolic weapon. However, while switchblade imports, domestic production, and sales to lawful owners soon ended, later legislative research demonstrated that youth gang violence rates had in fact rapidly increased, as gang members turned to firearms instead of knives. Delaney later became chairman of a Select Committee to conduct an investigation and study of the use of chemicals, pesticides, and insecticides in and with respect to food products (81st and