From its formal chartering on 22 July 1686 until 1779, the mayors of Albany, New York, were appointed by the royal governor of New York, per the provisions of the original city charter, issued by Governor Thomas Dongan.
From 1779 until 1839, mayors were chosen by the New York State's Council of Appointment, typically for a one-year term that began in September. From 1840 on, Albany's mayors were directly elected by the city's residents. Beginning in 1886, mayoral terms began on January 1 of the year after the mayor was elected.
A total of 74 men and one woman have served as mayor since the city's inception; eighteen of them served multiple terms that were not consecutive. Erastus Corning 2nd served for over 40 years, longer than any other mayor of any other major United States city. Kathy Sheehan (Democrat) is the current mayor; she was first elected in 2013, began service on January 1, 2014, and is currently in her second term of office.
Colonel of the militia in King William's War. Much trusted by the Iroquois, he took their five Sachems to London to visit the court of Queen Anne, 1709-1710 (Note: Johannes Wendell was appointed in opposition in 1690 by political upstart Jacob Leisler in an attempt to supplant the existing provincial governance structure; no record exists that Wendell actually served, and Leisler was arrested and executed in 1691).
Farmed in Guilderland; one of the few city fathers who accepted an appointment to the council during the regime of Jacob Leisler; also served as Justice of the Peace, Commissioner of Indian Affairs and Master in Chancery; married to sister of Mayor Johannes Abeel.
Served for 30 years as Indian Commissioner. Also captain in the militia. Alderman of the first city board in 1686. His great-grandson-in-law was Philip Livingston, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Philip Livingston was first cousin once removed of mayor Robert Livingston the Younger. Philip Livingston's wife, Christina Ten Broeck also was a cousin of Maria Ten Broeck, who married Continental Army General Gozen "Goose" Van Schaick, son of Albany Mayor Sybrant Gozen Van Schaick. Goose Van Schaick's sister was married to Continental Army General Peter Gansevoort—a great-nephew of Albany Mayor Pieter Van Brugh.
Surname sometimes spelled Verbrugge. Captain of the militia. Great-granduncle of Continental General Peter Gansevoort; constable, high constable, assessor, collector and contractor; one of the last people to be buried beneath the Old Albany Dutch church. His sister Catherina was the wife of Hendrick van Rensselaer, a brother-in-law of Albany Mayor Pieter Schuyler.
Born in Holland; emigrated to Albany in 1658. Negotiated support from the Iroquois tribes in the Dutch struggles against the French in Canada. Also served as City Chamberlain, Indian Commissioner, Recorder, Justice of the Peace and as a member of the Provincial Assembly.
Interpreter to the Indians. Carried captive to Canada in 1686, returned as year later. Also served as Recorder and member of the General Assembly. Son of Mayor Jan Jansen Bleecker and brother of Mayor Rutger Bleecker. City wall strengthened during his term in expectation of an attack from the French.
Militia officer, trader, river transport operator. Brother of Pieter Schuyler and grandfather of Continental General Philip Schuyler. Enacted a law mandating that each homeowner had to build an eight-foot sidewalk. Also served as Indian Commissioner, member of Colonial Assembly and alderman.
Brother of Mayor Myndert Schuyler; "fyre-masters" were ordered to inspect chimneys during his term. Also served as alderman, Justice, County Sheriff, Indian Commissioner and delegate to the Council of the Onondagas.
Nephew of Mayor Robert Livingston. Married to daughter of Mayor Pieter Schuyler. Born in Scotland, emigrated in 1687. Accused by the Boston Board of Trade of being a partner with pirate Captain Kidd since Kidd was using his ship, he was later exonerated. Member of the Colonial Assembly, Indian Commissioner, Secretary of the City.
Merchant. Ordered construction of small houses outside the city walls to house Indians who came to trade. Also served as member of the Assembly, Church Master, Indian Commissioner, Lieutenant Colonel of the Militia, Alderman.
Elder in the Dutch Church, Indian Commissioner, trader. Admitted freeman of New York City. Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Married to daughter of Mayor Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck.
Merchant. Son of Mayor Jan Jansen Bleecker, brother of Mayor Johannes Bleecker; married to widow of Mayor Johannes Abeel. Enacted laws restricting the sale of intoxicants to Indians. Also served as Recorder.
Son of Johannes de Peyster, a Mayor of New York City and a Huguenot. Purchased Albany's first fire-fighting equipment, ladders and fire-hooks. Married daughter of Mayor Myndert Schuyler. Also served as Recorder, Indian Commissioner, member of Provincial Assembly, Captain of the Cavalry, Inspector of Ordinance, Surrogate of Albany County and Paymaster of the New York Forces. His daughter married Albany Mayor Volkert P. Douw.
First English Mayor of Albany, his father commanded the Albany garrison. Signed a City Ordinance "To prevent Negroes or Indian slaves to appear in the streets after eight at night without a lanthorn and lighted candle in it."
Son of Mayor Johannes Schuyler, father of General Philip Schuyler. Businessman with lucrative government contracts and large dowry from his New York City Dutch wife's family; appointed to a second term as mayor but declined to take required oath of allegiance and did not serve. Also served as Indian Commissioner and alderman.
Fur trader and merchant, represented Albany's interests in Mohawk Country and Canada; alderman, active member of Indian Affairs Commission. Son of Mayor Johannes Cuyler, grandson (via mother) of Mayor Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck, father of Mayor Abraham Cuyler.
English native who married into the influential Dutch Schuyler family at a time when it was without a strong male leader; his administration hosted the Albany Congress.
Johannes (Hans) Hansen
1754
1756
See first term entry above; died in office during this term
Sybrant Gozen Van Schaick
1756
1761
Trader and landholder, his administration witnessed some of the most active local phases of the French and Indian War.
Merchant and one of the founders of Albany Savings Bank, second oldest bank in New York. Married daughter of Mayor Johannes DePeyster. Also served as alderman, recorder, captain of the militia, judge, member of the Colonial Assembly, Indian Commissioner, Committee of Safety, Commissary of the Northern Army, New York State Senator.
Third generation member of his family to serve as mayor, grandson (via mother) of Mayor Johannes Schuyler. Last mayor of colonial Albany, cooperated with English interests as local tensions mounted; arrested by Revolutionaries and exiled to Connecticut; condemned to death in 1779 under Act of Attainder; after peace with Britain was secured, he attempted to return to Albany but was unable to reclaim his property and died in Canada in 1810.
Lawyer, banker. Son of Mayor Dirck Ten Broeck. During his term, Albany was designated the capital of New York and whipping posts were abolished in the city; a prominent citizen and co-administrator of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck for Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer, also served as member of the Colonial Assembly, delegate to the Continental Congress, Brigadier-General of the Army, President of the Committee of Safety, New York State Senator, Judge, President of the Bank of Albany.
Also delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention, member of the Continental Congress, Speaker of the Assembly and Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, among other duties. During his term, the New York Convention ratified the United States Constitution. He disappeared on December 12, 1829 in New York City; he was last seen by the doorman at City Hotel.
Financier. Delegate to the Continental Congress, Albany's first Postmaster and founding trustee of Union College. Oil street lamps installed during his term. New York State Senator for first 13 sessions. Delegate to the Continental Congress.
Key figure in an early Albany scandal in 1807, when he was assaulted by General Solomon Van Rensselaer after passing a resolution questioning Van Rensselaer's honesty. A riot ensued, and Jenkins' nephew, Francis Bloodgood, struck and seriously wounded Van Rensselaer with a cane. Suits and countersuits were filed. Jenkins' appointment as mayor has been viewed as a politically motivated move and further slight against the Van Rensselaer family; Jenkins resigned in 1819 and his term was completed by Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer. Bloodgood later became Mayor of Albany as well. Jenkins also served as New York State Senator, State Comptroller, Secretary of State and Quartermaster to the General Northern Department during the War of 1812.
Merchant. Key early petitioner for the Erie Canal, helped found Cohoes Company to tap the power of the Mohawk River. The Albany Basin of Erie Canal completed during his term and canal began operation. His widow donated funds to found Dudley Observatory.
His wife was the sister of Governor DeWitt Clinton; also Attorney General of New York and Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, and member of the United States House of Representatives.
James Stevenson
1826
1828
Lawyer, one of the first governors of Albany City Hospital. During his term, a large celebration was held in Albany on the effective date of the emancipation of slaves in New York; resigned in 1828.
Laid the cornerstone for Albany's old City Hall in 1829; major cholera outbreak during his term. Advised DeWitt Clinton in Erie Canal matters. Also president of National Commercial Bank, president of the Albany Exchange Company, president of the Water Commission, vice president of Albany Savings Bank.
Clerk of the New York State Supreme Court, president of New York State Bank. See entry under Elisha Jenkins above for his role in a politically motivated brawl in 1807.
Founder of the New York Central Railroad and member of the United States House of Representatives; resigned in 1837.
Teunis Van Vechten
1837
1839
President of Albany Insurance Company and attorney to Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer; first locomotive arrived from Boston during his term, though passengers disembarked in Greenbush (Rensselaer) and crossed the river by ferry; resigned in 1839.
Jared Lewis Rathbone
1839
1841
Last mayor chosen by the common council, appointed to complete Mayor Van Vechten's term. Elected mayor in 1840 after city charter amendment provided for popular vote for mayor. President of Albany Medical College. Also served as alderman. Father of Henry Rathbone
Born in Connecticut, relocated to Albany in 1811. Albany Rural Cemetery was consecrated and Albany's first telegraph office opened during his term. Advocate for public morality, he closed public markets on Sundays. New York State Senator.
John Keyes Paige
1845
1846
New York State Supreme Court Clerk from 1825 until his election as mayor. President of the Canal Bank.
William Parmelee
1846
1848
Lawyer. Also served as city attorney, judge and recorder.
Adjutant General of the State of New York, Assemblyman, President of New York State National Bank, Vice-President of Albany Savings Bank; nephew of Mayor John Townsend
Merchant in livestock and provisions. Contracted to supply Union forces during the Civil War but lost his fortune in the process. Cousin of Commodore William Perry; Albany Law School organized during his tenure as mayor. Also served as alderman and Member of United States House of Representatives. Organized Albany Orphan Asylum.
William Parmelee
1854
1856
See first term entry above; died in office
Charles Watson Godard
1856
1856
Appointed by common council on the death of William Parmalee. Also served as captain of the Port of New York, and was a prominent lecturer and philanthropist.
Eli Perry
1856
1860
See first term entry above
George Hornell Thacher
1860
1862
Owned Thacher Carwheel Co., headed Albany's substantial humanitarian efforts during the Civil War. Also served as an alderman.
Eli Perry
1862
1866
See first term entry above
George Hornell Thacher
1866
1868
See first term entry above
Charles Edward Bleecker
1868
1870
Planned Washington Park. During his term, construction of the Capitol began. First Mayor to have veto power.
George Hornell Thacher
1870
1874
See first term entry above; resigned during electoral challenge
John G. Burch
1874
1874
Coal and wood dealer and alderman. Appointed to serve as mayor during contested election between George Hornell Thacher and Edmund Lewis Judson.
Edmund L. Judson
1874
1876
Flour and provision merchant. Election was contested by George Thacher; contest dragged through the courts for two years; Judson was declared the winner only weeks before his first term ended. Also served as alderman.
Principal partner of Banks & Brothers, law publishers, booksellers, and importers; one of the oldest legal publishing houses in the United States. Served in New York State Assembly, New York State Senate. President of the Greenbush Bridge Company.
Physician who served as a Medical Officer during the Civil War, and Surgeon-in-Chief of American Ambulance Corps during the Franco-Prussian War. Electric streetlights installed in Albany during his time as mayor. His election was contested, and he was not formally seated until near the end of his elected term. He was one of the four founding physicians involved in establishing Albany Medical College.
Author, philanthropist, bibliophile. Son of Mayor George Hornell Thacher, uncle of Mayor John Boyd Thacher II. Also served as New York State Senator. In 1914, his widow donated the family land that formed the nucleus of the present-day John Boyd Thacher State Park.
Son of Daniel Manning. Publisher, President of the Weed Parsons Printing Company. Albany Railway Company (operator of Albany's trolleys) converted to electric power during his term, eliminating horse-drawn carriages. Also President of the Hudson River Telephone Company and President of National Savings Bank.
President of the Board of Education, Chief Accountant for Whitney's Dry Goods Company. Also served as School Commissioner and President of the Board of Education. Appointed a Water Board favorable to building a filtration plant for the city, and significantly increased the size of the fire department. (Note: from this point forward, terms end on December 31, and the next Mayor's term begins on January 1, hence non-overlapping years)
Civil War veteran, attorney; first public water filtration plant opened during his term. Also served as Judge, member of United States House of Representatives, and as a trustee of the Albany Institute.
Inventor of the return steam trap; superintendent of the Townsend and Jackson Foundry and Machine Works; first Republican elected mayor in over 20 years. His election marked the beginning of two decades of control by Albany's Republicans, who were led by William Barnes Jr. Albany's first public baths were opened during Blessing's administration.
Pharmacist and military officer. Major labor unrest at various times during his term, with butchers, trolley drivers, stovemounters, printers, composers and others striking. Also served as School Commissioner and Street Commissioner. Resigned to become New York State Comptroller.
Henry F. Snyder
1909
1909
Completed the fourth term of Charles H. Gaus; after completing his term as mayor was appointed Postmaster of Albany.
President of McEwan Coal Company. Glenn Curtiss flew non-stop from Albany to New York City during his term. Also served in New York State Assembly, New York State Senate, and Postmaster.
Joseph William Stevens
1914
1917
Tobacco merchant, Civil War veteran, also served as alderman and president of the common council.
James R. Watt
1918
1921
Last mayor of the Barnes Republican machine era and last Republican mayor of Albany to date (see James Henry Blessing above); major corruption scandals related to Barnes (primarily surrounding the misdirection of coal purchased by the city to machine favorites at a time of extremely high coal prices to the general populace) and a lengthy transit strike allowed Democrats to reclaim nearly every city office behind newly elected Mayor Hackett; Daniel P. "Uncle Dan" O'Connell and his brothers were instrumental in rallying Democrats, and went on to be major Democratic power brokers in Albany, in allegiance with brothers Parker and Edwin Corning, grandsons of Mayor Erastus Corning; Edwin was also father to Erastus Corning 2nd. In 1919, Watt became the first Albany mayor to win an election in which women voted.
Banker and attorney; admitted to the bar by reading law. Died while in office, killed in a car accident in Cuba; contemporary accounts indicate that he would have been the next Democratic nominee for Governor of New York had he lived. First mayor elected under the patronage of the emerging Dan O'Connell and Edwin Corning-led political alliance, which merged blue-collar Irish Catholic and wealthy Episcopal factions into a machine that dominated Albany politics for most of the 20th Century.
Attorney and banker; fourth longest total time of service by an Albany mayor, after Erastus Corning 2nd, Philip S. Van Rensselaer and Gerald D. Jennings; a loyal O'Connell-Corning patronage selectee who resigned in 1940 to serve as Judge of the Albany County Children's Court.
Herman F. Hoogkamp
1940
1941
Linotype machinist for the Knickerbocker News. Completed unexpired term of John Boyd Thacher II.
Insurance salesman and son of Edwin Corning, long-time Dan O'Connell ally. Longest-serving mayor of a major city in American history. Great-grandson of Mayor Erastus Corning; with O'Connell, presided over one of the most successful political patronage machines in American history. Corning died in office during his eleventh term as mayor.
Frank Salisbury Harris
1944
1945
Real estate agent; acting mayor during Corning's military service in World War II.
Attorney. His tenure is noted for its focus on successful financial and civil service reform, opening the processes of city hall, using the arts and the city park system as a catalyst for growth and improving the city's image both domestically and worldwide. The city was designated an "All-American City" under his leadership, attained the highest possible bond rating from Moody's and hosted many successful downtown cultural events. A memorial statue of him can be found in downtown Albany's Tricentennial Park.
Public school teacher and administrator, and former Albany Alderman. He won a shocking upset in the 1993 Democratic mayoral primary over Harold Joyce, who had the Democratic Party's formal endorsement and had only recently been its chairman. This primary victory is often viewed as marking the end of the Corning-O'Connell machine era in Albany. While Mayor Jennings was serving his fifth term in office, in May 2013, he announced that he would not seek a new term. He retired on December 31, 2013, as the second longest-serving mayor in Albany's history, after only Erastus Corning 2nd.
Mayor Sheehan is the 75th and current mayor of Albany. She was previously the city treasurer. She is the first female mayor of Albany and the first new mayor in 20 years.
Source for the names and years: Mayors of Albany, 1686-1997: Biographical Sketches, Virginia B. Bowers, City Historian (City Club of Albany, Inc., 1997)
McEneny, John (2006). Albany, Capital City on the Hudson: An Illustrated History. Sun Valley, California: American Historical Press. p. 270. ISBN1-892724-53-7.
Mayor Erastus Corning: Albany Icon, Albany Enigma, Paul Grondahl (Washington Park Press, Albany, 2004)
