William Frederick Havemeyer

William Frederick Havemeyer (February 12, 1804 – November 30, 1874) was an American businessman and politician who served three times as mayor of New York City during the 19th century. he came to New York City under contract to Edmund Seaman & Co. and took charge of their sugar house on Pine Street. He received a liberal arts education, attending Columbia College of Columbia University, graduating in 1823. Soon after graduation he entered his father's service as clerk and obtained a thorough business training. In 1828, he formed a partnership with his cousin, Frederick Christian Havemeyer (1807–1891), under the firm name of W. F. & F. C. Havemeyer, sugar refiners. In 1842, he sold out his interest in the firm to his brother Albert. Thus after fourteen years, while still young, he retired from business a wealthy man.

His cousin's son Henry Osborne Havemeyer became a member of the Havemeyer family sugar refining firm, which controlled more than half the entire sugar interest of the country. Henry O.'s brother, Theodore Havemeyer, was co-founder of the U.S. Golf Association and U.S. Open.

Career In 1844, Havemeyer entered local politics with the Democratic Party as an elector for James K. Polk and George M. Dallas during the United States presidential election. He had been a supporter of President Andrew Jackson. He was also friendly with President Martin Van Buren with whom he had corresponded and urged vehemently to emulate Jackson's firmness in the face of popular outcry.

In 1844, the Democrats of the ward Havemeyer lived in were divided into two factions about equal in strength. To avoid a conflict, it was determined to send to the Tammany Hall convention three influential men, irrespective of factional feeling. James T. Brady, Gustavus A. Conover, and Havemeyer were selected. Then at the state convention of the Democratic Party, held at Syracuse September 4, 1844, Havemeyer was nominated for the office of presidential elector.

Havemeyer attempted to reform the powers of the Common Council, leading to the drafting of a new government charter that provided for direct election of department heads who had previously been appointed by the council. In 1846, together with Robert B. Minturn and Gulian C. Verplanck, Havemeyer strove to abolish the abuses practised on immigrants. The result of their efforts was the Board of Emigration Commissioners, of which Havemeyer was the first president.

Return to politics The death of William Havemeyer, originally appearing as "Sudden Death of the Hon. William F. Havemeyer in his Office," New York, NY, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, December 1874) In 1859, he was nominated by Tammany Hall to run against Democratic candidate Fernando Wood, who had lost favor with some of the Tammany factions, and the Republican candidate George Opdyke. Havemeyer narrowly lost to Wood 30,000 to 27,000, with Opdyke receiving 23,000 votes.

During the American Civil War, Havemeyer was a strong advocate of the Union and urged the abolition of slavery as a war measure.

During his third term, in the reorganization of the city government political organization under the Charter of 1873, several of his nominations were opposed by the Board of Aldermen. The greater part of his time was spent in wrangles with the aldermen and other city officers. Together, they were the parents of ten children, including:

Havemeyer died while in office on November 30, 1874, aged 70, in New York City. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.

Legacy The New York City Fire Department operated a fireboat named William Frederick Havemeyer from 1875 to 1901.