Thomas W. Wallace (January 24, 1900 – July 17, 1943) was an American lawyer and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. Running on the ticket with Governor

Thomas E. Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...

, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of New York in November 1942, but died less than seven months into his only term. He was corporation counsel of

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, and District Attorney of Schenectady County. At the New York state election, 1942, he defeated the incumbent Democrat, Lieutenant Governor

Charles Poletti Charles Poletti (July 2, 1903 – August 8, 2002) was an American lawyer and politician. He became the 46th governor of New York in December 1942, and was the first Italian-American governor in the United States. Born in Barre, Vermont to Ital ...

. Wallace took office on January 1, 1943, as Lieutenant Governor of New York. In early July 1943, however, he contracted

chicken pox Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab ...

from his two children. Two days later he began to suffer from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

, and was placed in an oxygen tent at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he died on July 17, 1943.
Lt. Gov. Wallace, 43, Dies Of Pneumonia
'' New York Times, 1943-07-18 at 1. He was buried at the Holy Redeemer Cemetery in

Niskayuna, New York Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county. ...

.Political Graveyard (Wallace)
accessed 2009-09-07.

Political aftermath

His death raised the question if the revised State Constitution, adopted in 1938, required a special election to fill the vacancy.Peter J. Galie
''Ordered Liberty: A Constitutional History of New York''
p. 271 (Fordham University Press, 1995), , . The New York Court of Appeals decided in the affirmative, meeting with harsh criticism from Governor Dewey. An amendment to the State Constitution in 1937 had increased the New York State Assemblymen's term to two years and the State Senators had already been elected to two-year terms in even-numbered years since

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

, so that now in odd-numbered years there were usually only local offices to be filled at the general election in November. Despite Dewey's objections, a statewide special election was held in November 1943. On recommendation of Governor Dewey, the Legislature passed, and the voters approved, a constitutional amendment which prohibited any elections for lieutenant governor in any event except at the time of the election of a governor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Thomas W Lieutenant Governors of New York (state) 1900 births 1943 deaths Politicians from Schenectady, New York Deaths from pneumonia in New York (state) New York (state) Republicans 20th-century American politicians