Robert Anderson Van Wyck

Biography

Robert Anderson Van Wyck served as the first mayor of consolidated New York City, leading the newly united boroughs through the beginning years of the twentieth century while guiding the city through rapid growth and the establishment of new civic services. His tenure reflected the ambitions and tensions of an expanding metropolis.

Though his administration faced scrutiny, Van Wyck continued to care deeply about the metropolis and remained engaged with public life until his death in 1918; he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, leaving a legacy entwined with the city's early consolidation.