Cornelius Amory Pugsley Sr. (July 17, 1850 – September 10, 1936) was the Democratic Congressman from

New York's 16th congressional district New York's 16th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives represented by George Latimer (New York politician), George Latimer. The 16th district includes a small portion of the northern B ...

from 1901 to 1903. He was also President of the New York State Bankers Association in 1913. He created the

Pugsley Medal The Pugsley Medal was created by Cornelius Amory Pugsley in 1928. The award honors champions of parks and conservation. Responsibility for selecting the recipients has shifted from the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society to the N ...

in 1928 to honor champions of parks and conservation.

Biography

He was born in

Peekskill, New York Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, north of New York City. Established as a village in 1816, it was incorporated as a city in 1940. It lies on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across fr ...

on July 17, 1850 to Gilbert T. Pugsley and a Meeker. Cornelius was a direct descendant of James Pugsley, who emigrated from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1680. Pugsley attended public schools and was instructed in higher education by a private tutor. His first job was as a clerk at the

post office, he later served as the assistant postmaster from 1867 to 1870. He engaged in the banking business in 1870. He served as president of the board of trustees of the

Peekskill Military Academy Peekskill Military Academy was a military academy for young men and women, founded in 1833 as Peekskill Academy, located in Peekskill, New York, United States. Background The academy was built by a hanging tree where a British spy was executed ...

Congress

Pugsley was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Fifty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1902 to the

Fifty-eighth Congress The 58th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC, from March 4, 1903, to ...

Later career

He resumed banking in Peekskill. He served as president general of the

Sons of the American Revolution The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), is a federally chartered patriotic organization. The National Society, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Louisvi ...

in 1906 and 1907. He served as delegate to the

1908 Democratic National Convention The 1908 Democratic National Convention took place from July 7 to July 10, 1908, at Denver Auditorium Arena in Denver, Colorado. The event is widely considered a significant part of Denver's political and social history. The convention The 1 ...

. He served as president of the New York State Bankers' Association in 1913. He served as president of the Westchester County National Bank,

. He served as member of the Westchester County Park Commission. Mr. Pugsley was President of The Field Library Board of Trustees from the date of its incorporation, April 7, 1887, until his demise September 10, 1936. In 1929, a Memorial in Books Fund was established in Pugsley's honor by his son, Chester DeWitt Pugsley, also a Field Library Trustee.

Family

He married Emma Catherine Gregory on April 7, 1886 and had a son, Chester DeWitt Pugsley who was an alternate delegate to

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

from New York in 1916. Emma was the daughter of John H. Gregory.

Death

He died in

, on September 10, 1936, and was interred in Raymond Hill Cemetery,

Carmel, New York Carmel (pronounced ) is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town had a population of 33,576. The Town of Carmel is on the southern border of Putnam County, abutting Westchester County, ap ...

References

External links

Cornelius Amory Pugsley archive
American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration *
Pugsley Medal winners
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pugsley, Cornelius Amory 1850 births 1936 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Peekskill, New York Presidents general of the Sons of the American Revolution 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives