William Jay Gaynor

Biography

William Jay Gaynor spent a career on the bench before becoming mayor of New York City, where his integrity, courage, and calls for honest government won widespread admiration even as he faced constant opposition and survived an assassination attempt.

He sought to curb corruption, improve sanitation, and deliver fair administration, and his untimely death while still in office left a city grateful for his steady example, honored today at Green-Wood Cemetery.