Hugh T. Farley (born November 26, 1932) is an American attorney, professor and Republican politician from Schenectady County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He served as a member of the

New York Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term ...

from 1977 until his 2016 retirement.

Early life and family

Farley was born in

Watertown, New York Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River, about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by the t ...

, and raised in

Indian Lake, New York Indian Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,352 at the 2010 census. The name is from a lake of the same name that is largely inside the town. There are no permanent stop lights in the town. The town ...

. He graduated from high school in Watertown. Farley served in the U.S. Army and then was a high school teacher in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...

, and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. Farley holds a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from American University School of Law, as well as a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

from the

SUNY Albany The State University of New York at Albany (University at Albany, UAlbany, or SUNY Albany) is a public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the State University of N ...

. He is also a graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College. Farley and his wife, Sharon, have been married for more than 57 years and have three children.

Career

Farley served in the U.S. Army and then was a high school teacher in

, and

. In 1965, Farley became a member of the faculty at the School of Business of the

. He later became Full Professor and Law Area Coordinator. In 2000, he became a Professor Emeritus of Business Law at the college.

Political career

Farley was first elected to the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

in 1976. During his career, he represented all or portions of

Schenectady Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

, Saratoga,

Herkimer Herkimer may refer to: People: * Johan Jost Herkimer (1732–1795), United Empire Loyalist, brother of Nicholas Herkimer * John Herkimer (1773–1848), American lawyer and politician from New York * Lawrence Herkimer (1925–2015), American innov ...

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

, and Fulton Counties. In 1979, Farley was chosen as the first Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Aging. As chairman, Farley authored laws creating New York's

hospice care Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

system and a law prohibiting mandatory medical intervention/treatment for

terminally ill Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, rather than fatal injur ...

patients. In 1989, Farley was appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Banks. In this capacity, he authored or sponsored numerous laws dealing with banking regulations, including a law enacted in 1994 aimed at making New York's

interest rate An interest rate is the amount of interest due per period, as a proportion of the amount lent, deposited, or borrowed (called the principal sum). The total interest on an amount lent or borrowed depends on the principal sum, the interest rate, ...

deregulation Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a ...

laws permanent. Farley was a member of the Governor's Commission on Libraries, and was an elected delegate to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

's Conference on Libraries in both 1979 and 1991. He also chaired the State Senate's Select Committee on Libraries; in that role, he became known as a national leader and advocate for libraries and reading programs. Farley sponsored legislation establishing the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority. Farley voted against same-sex marriage legislation on December 2, 2009, and the bill was defeated. His 2010 opponent, Democrat Susan Savage, denounced Farley's position at an October 2010 rally on the steps of the New York State Capitol. Farley defeated Savage and was re-elected with one of the largest margins in the state. In 2011, Farley again voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during a Senate roll-call on the Marriage Equality Act, which passed after a close 33-29 vote. In 2011, New York legalized same-sex marriage; Farley announced that he would not seek re-election in 2016. He served in the Senate for 40 years. At the time of his retirement, he was the second-longest-serving member in New York State Senate history.

References

External links

New York State Senate: Hugh T. FarleyFourth Branch of America - New York State Senator Hugh FarleyProject Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, Hugh T. 1932 births Living people University at Albany, SUNY faculty Republican Party New York (state) state senators Politicians from Watertown, New York University at Albany, SUNY alumni Washington College of Law alumni Business educators 21st-century members of the New York State Legislature 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature