George Hervey Hallett Jr.
American civic activist and birder
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George Hervey Hallett Jr. (1895–1985) was a civic activist, electoral reformer, author and avid birder. As long-standing official of the Citizens Union of the City of New York, a municipal reform group, , he led the change to proportional representation in the 1930s and in the 1970s, he led the revision of the New York City Charter.[1]
Hallett was born in 1895 to a Quaker family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Haverford College, received a master's degree in mathematics from Harvard University and a PhD from Pennsylvania University. He was a conscientious objector during World War I.[1] Hallett was a prominent advocate of proportional representation in politics.[2] He authored the 1937 book Proportional Representation The Key to Democracy and co-authored with C.G. Hoag the 1926 book Proportional Representation.
In the 1970s, while in his 70s, he led a campaign for the revision of the New York City Charter. This was adopted by voters in 1975.[1]
He died in 1985.
The 4-acre (1.6 ha) Hallett Nature Sanctuary in the southern end of New York City's Central Park was dedicated to his memory on June 30, 1986.[3]