Jay Le Fevre
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jay Le Fevre[a] (September 6, 1893 – April 26, 1970) was a United States representative from New York.
New York's 30th congressional district (1945–1951)
Jay Le Fevre | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1951 | |
| Preceded by | Lewis K. Rockefeller |
| Succeeded by | J. Ernest Wharton |
| Constituency | New York's 27th congressional district (1943–1945) New York's 30th congressional district (1945–1951) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 6, 1893 New Paltz, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 26, 1970 (aged 76) Kingston, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lloyd Cemetery, Highland, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mildred B. Hiltebrant (1920) |
| Children | 3 |
| Military career | |
| Service | United States Army |
| Service years | 1918 |
| Rank | Private |
| Service number | 4,742,123[1] |
| Unit | Casual Company, Camp Zachary Taylor |
| Wars | World War I |
| Education | Dartmouth College |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Early life
Jay Le Fevre was born in New Paltz, New York on September 6, 1893, the son of Abram P. Le Fevre and Mary Emma (Van Derlyn) Le Fevre.[2] He graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1914, then began attendance at Dartmouth College.[3] While at Dartmouth, he joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.[2] Le Fevre left college in 1916 and joined his father's coal, lumber, animal feed, and fuel oil business in New Paltz.[2]
Military service
In September 1918, Le Fevre enlisted for World War I, and joined the United States Army as a private.[1] His application for a commission was approved, and he was assigned to the Field Artillery branch Officer Training School at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky.[1] He was still undergoing training as a member of the camp's Casual Company when the Armistice of November 11, 1918 ended the war.[1][4][b] Le Fevre received his discharge in December 1918, and afterwards was a longtime member of the American Legion.[1][2]
Business career
Le Fevre continued with A. P. Le Fevre and Son, eventually becoming the company's president.[2] He was also a longtime trustee of the New Paltz Savings Bank and a director of the Huguenot Branch of the State of New York National Bank.[2] In addition, he was a longtime director of the Northeast Retail Lumbermen's Association and served as its president.[2]
Civic and political career
Le Fevre was a longtime member of the board of visitors of the State Normal School in New Paltz, now the State University of New York at New Paltz.[2] He also belonged to the Holland Society of New York and the New Paltz Dutch Reformed Church, of which he was a longtime consistory member.[2] In addition, Le Fevre served as a director of the Huguenot Historical Society.[2]
A Republican in politics, Le Fevre served as a New Paltz village trustee and was a delegate to the Republican state conventions of 1942 and 1946.[2] In addition, he was a member of the New Paltz Republican Committee from 1930 to 1946.[2]
Congressman
In 1942, Le Fevre was elected to the United States House of Representatives.[2] He was reelected three times and served from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1951.[2] While in Congress, Le Fevre was a member of the special committee that toured Europe in 1946 to develop recommendations for the continent's post-World War II economic development.[2] In addition, he was one of the U.S. House Interior Committee members who visited Hawaii, then recommended to the House that the territory be admitted to the Union.[5]
Later life
Le Fevre was not a candidate for renomination in 1950 and returned to his business interests.[6] In 1951, he was appointed to the New York State Bridge Authority, and he served until 1955.[6]
Death and burial
LeFevre died in Kingston, New York on April 26, 1970.[6] He was buried at Lloyd Cemetery in Highland, New York.[6]
Family
In January 1920, Le Fevre married Mildred B. Hiltebrant, and they remained married until his death.[6][7] They were the parents of three children.[6]
Le Fevre was a descendant of the LeFevres who founded New Paltz in 1678.[8] The LeFevres were Huguenots, Protestant followers of John Calvin who fled what is today Northern France and South Belgium who fled persecution by the ruling Catholics.[8] The original settlement of their ancestors survives today as Historic Huguenot Street, a National Historic Landmark District.[9]
Notes
- Sometimes spelled "LeFevre".
- Some sources indicate that Le Fevre was a second lieutenant, but the abstract of his service indicates that he had not received his commission by the time he was discharged.