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John Cordes

1890 – 1966

New York City Police detective

Detective
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About John Cordes

Lived 1890 – 1966 (aged 75–76). John Cordes was a detective.

John H. F. Cordes (August 9, 1890 – April 19, 1966) was a detective in the New York Police Department, once described by New York mayor Jimmy Walker as "the city's best cop".

His second Medal of Honor was awarded in 1927 for his work in solving the kidnapping of real estate tycoon Abraham Scharlin.

Retirement Cordes retired in 1949. Part of his career is described in the book "NYPD: Stories of Survival from the World's Toughest Beat".

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Important facts

Born
1890
Birth century
Occupation
Detective

People in John Cordes's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Cordes's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Cordes?

New York City Police detective

When was John Cordes born?

John Cordes was born in 1890.

When did John Cordes die?

John Cordes died on 19 April 1966.

What was John Cordes's occupation?

John Cordes was a detective.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Cordes

· Wikidata: Q6227117

· DBpedia: John Cordes

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Cordes. https://biography.guide/john-cordes/

MLA: "John Cordes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-cordes/.

Chicago: "John Cordes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-cordes/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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