Commissioner of Docks and Ferries of the City of New York
Introduction Docks-New York Harbor, 1947The '''Commissioner of Docks''' of New York City was the head of the '''Department of Docks''' created by the New York State Legislature's 1870 revision of the New York City Charter, which returned numerous powers to the city government that had previously been taken by the state. This version of the city charter was known as the "Tweed Charter", after its main advocate William M. "Boss" Tweed, who controlled much of local politics via the Tammany Hall political ring. At the time the charter revision passed, he was a state senator representing the Fourth District in Manhattan.The Commissioner of Docks originally consisted of "a board consisting of five persons... appointed by the Mayor... who shall hold office for a term of five years." Their duties were established and defined by the commissioners of the sinking fund, which was responsible for all aspects of the city's borrowing and debt. Money for the repair and construction of wharves, piers, and slips was originally limited by the charter to $350,000, but the loose wording in this section of the charter allowed for many other expenses that quickly opened the commission to accusations of corruption, as was the case with numerous other city agencies that were controlled by Tammany Hall.In 1873, the state legislature passed a charter revision, making the dock board a three-member commission.Accusations of poor oversight of the docks and piers, and of the department's finances, were made from time to time, but in 1889, a scandal erupted. Two of the Dock Commissioners were charged by Mayor Hugh J. Grant with three counts of corruption – "neglect and malfeasance in office", "failure to observe and enforce provisions of law...", and "failure to acquaint themselves with the duties and necessities of the Department of Docks..." The accused commissioners countered that they had acted no differently than previous commissioners had done for decades, and that the mayor, who was a Tammany Hall crony, did not charge the third dock commissioner because he was also a Tammany Hall colleague. They were not removed from their jobs, and accusations others not collecting rents from leases of piers continued over the years.The department was renamed the '''Department of Docks and Ferries''' in the city charter revision of 1897.The head of the department was made a one-person commissioner, with a deputy, by the city charter revision of 1901.The department was renamed the '''Department of Marine and Aviation''' effective January 1, 1942.
List of commissioners  Name  Dates in Office  Mayoral Administration  Notes and References  As a Five-Person Commission Appointed by the Mayor John T. Agnew (President)Hugh Smith (Treasurer)Wilson G. HuntWilliam WoodRichard M. Henry  April 11, 1870 – September 1, 1870  A. Oakey Hall   John T. Agnew (President)Henry A. Smith (Treasurer)Wilson G. HuntWilliam WoodRichard M. Henry  September 1, 1870 – January 3, 1872  A. Oakey Hall   John T. Agnew (President)John Grenville Kane (Treasurer)Wilson G. HuntWilliam WoodRichard M. Henry  January 3, 1872 – May 21, 1873  A. Oakey HallWilliam F. Havemeyer  As a Three-Person Commission Appointed by the Mayor  Jacob A. Westervelt (President)William Budd (Treasurer)William Gardner  May 22, 1873 – December 4, 1874  William F. HavemeyerSamuel B. H. Vance   Jacob A. Westervelt (President)William Budd (Treasurer)vacant  December 4, 1874 – December 11, 1874  Samuel B. H. Vance   Jacob A. Westervelt (President)William Budd (Treasurer)Salem H. Wales  December 11, 1874 – early 1875  William H. Wickham   Salem Howe Wales (President)William Budd (Treasurer)Jacob A. Westervelt  early 1875 – March 1877  William H. WickhamSmith Ely Jr.   Jacob A. Westervelt (President)Jacob Vanderpoel (Treasurer)Henry F. Dimock  July 11, 1877 – February 21, 1879  Smith Ely Jr.Edward Cooper   Henry F. Dimock (President)Jacob Vanderpoel (Treasurer)vacant  February 21, 1879 – December 10, 1880  Edward Cooper   Henry F. Dimock (President)Jacob Vanderpoel (Treasurer)William Laimbeer Jr. December 10, 1880 – September 13, 1881  Edward CooperWilliam R. Grace (1st term)   John R. Voorhis (President)Jacob Vanderpoel (Treasurer)William Laimbeer Jr.  September 13, 1881 – May 3, 1882  William R. Grace (1st term)   William Laimbeer Jr. (President)Jacob Vanderpoel (Treasurer)John R. Voorhis  May 3, 1882 – February 14, 1883  William R. Grace (1st term)Franklin Edson   William Laimbeer Jr. (President)John R. Voorhis (Temporary Treasurer)vacant  February 14, 1883 – May 9, 1883  Franklin Edson   Lucius J.N. Stark (President)John R. Voorhis (Treasurer)William Laimbeer Jr.  May 9, 1883 – May 9, 1885  Franklin Edson   Joseph Koch (President)James Matthews (Treasurer)Lucius J.N. Stark  May 9, 1885 – late 1886 or early 1887  William R. Grace (2nd term)   Lucius J.N. Stark (President)James Matthews (Treasurer)Joseph Koch late 1886 or early 1887  Abram Hewitt   Lucius J.N. Stark (President)James Matthews (Treasurer)Charles H. Marshall  May 9, 1887 – May 22, 1888 Abram Hewitt   Lucius J.N. Stark (President)James Matthews (Treasurer)Edwin A. Post  May 22, 1888 – November 9, 1888  Abram Hewitt   Edwin A. Post (President)James Matthews (Treasurer)vacant  November 9, 1888 – December 21, 1888  Abram Hewitt   Edwin A. Post (President)James Matthews (Treasurer)Charles A. Silliman  December 21, 1888 – May 22, 1889  Abram HewittHugh J. Grant   Edwin A. Post (President)James Matthews (Treasurer)J. Sergeant Cram  May 22, 1889 – May 29, 1891  Hugh J. Grant   Edwin A. Post (President)James J. Phelan (Treasurer)J. Sergeant Cram  May 29, 1891 – May 1, 1893  Hugh J. Grant   J. Sergeant Cram (President)James J. Phelan (Treasurer)Andrew J. White  May 1, 1893 – March 21, 1895 Thomas F. GilroyWilliam L. Strong  J. Sergeant Cram (President)James J. Phelan (Treasurer)Edward C. O'Brien  March 21, 1895 – March 23, 1895  William L. Strong   Edward C. O'Brien (President)James J. Phelan (Treasurer)Edwin Einstein  March 23, 1895 - May 6, 1895  William L. Strong   Edward C. O'Brien (President)Edwin Einstein (Treasurer)John Monks  May 6, 1895 – December 31, 1897  William L. Strong   J. Sergeant Cram (President)Charles F. Murphy (Treasurer)Peter F. Meyer  January 1, 1898 – January 1, 1902  Robert Van Wyck   As a Single Person Appointed by the Mayor  McDougall Hawkes January 1, 1902 – January 1, 1903  Seth Low   Maurice Featherson  January 1, 1904 – January 1, 1904  George Brinton McClellan, Jr.   John A. Bensel  January 1, 1904 – January 30, 1908  George Brinton McClellan, Jr.   vacant January 30, 1908 – February 10, 1908  Allan Newhall Spooner  February 10, 1908 – July 1, 1909  George Brinton McClellan, Jr.   Calvin Tomkins  January 2, 1910 – April 2, 1913  George Brinton McClellan, Jr.,William Jay Gaynor  Robert A.C. Smith  April 2, 1913 – December 31, 1917  William Jay GaynorJohn Purroy Mitchel   Murray Hulbert  January 1, 1918 – December 31, 1921  John F. Hylan   John H. Delaney  January 1, 1922 – June 30, 1924  John F. Hylan   Michael J. Cosgrove  July 1, 1924 – April 30, 1931  John F. HylanJimmy Walker  died in office vacant  April 30, 1931 – May 25, 1931   John McKenzie  May 25, 1931 – December 31, 1941  Jimmy Walker,Joseph V. McKee,John P. O'Brien,Fiorello H. La Guardia  became commissioner of the successorDepartment of Marine and Aviation
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