List of mayors of Albany, New York facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Albany, New York, has a long history of mayors, starting way back in 1686! For many years, until 1779, the mayor was chosen by the governor of New York. This was part of the city's first official rules, set by Governor Thomas Dongan.

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Albany
Flag of the City of Albany
Seal of the City of Albany
Incumbent Kathy Sheehan since January 1, 2014
Style	The Honorable
Term length	Four years; renewable
Inaugural holder	Pieter Schuyler
Formation	1686
Salary	$135,402 (2017)
Website	[1]

From 1779 to 1839, mayors were picked by a special group called the New York State Council of Appointment. Their terms usually lasted one year. But starting in 1840, the people of Albany got to vote directly for their mayor! Since 1886, new mayors have started their terms on January 1st.

So far, 74 men and one woman have been mayor of Albany. Some mayors served more than one term, but not always in a row. Erastus Corning 2nd was mayor for over 40 years. That's longer than any other mayor in a big city in the United States! Kathy Sheehan is the current mayor. She was first elected in 2013 and started her job on January 1, 2014. She is now in her second term.

Seventeenth Century Mayors
Eighteenth Century Mayors
Nineteenth Century Mayors
Twentieth Century Mayors
Twenty-first Century Mayors
See also

Seventeenth Century Mayors

Mayor	Start	End	Comment
Pieter Schuyler	1686	1694	Albany's very first mayor. He was a military leader and worked well with the Iroquois people.
Johannes Abeel	1694	1695	A merchant and trader. He also served as a judge and sheriff.
Evert Bancker	1695	1696	A farmer who also served as a Justice of the Peace.
Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck	1696	1698	He worked for 30 years as a Commissioner for Indian Affairs.
Hendrick Hansen	1698	1699	A provincial assemblyman, trader, and merchant.
Pieter Van Brugh	1699	1700	A captain in the local militia. He held many city roles like constable and assessor.

Eighteenth Century Mayors

Mayor	Start	End	Comment
Jan Jansen Bleecker	1700	1701	Born in Holland, he helped get support from the Iroquois tribes against the French.
Johannes Bleecker Jr.	1701	1702	He was an interpreter for Native American tribes. The city walls were made stronger during his term.
Albert Janse Ryckman	1702	1703	A well-known brewmaster and militia captain.
Johannes Schuyler	1703	1706	A militia officer and trader. He made a law that homeowners had to build sidewalks.
David Davidse Schuyler	1706	1707	During his term, "fire-masters" checked chimneys for safety.
Evert Bancker	1707	1709	Served a second time as mayor.
Johannes Abeel	1709	1710	Served a second time as mayor.
Robert Livingston the Younger	1710	1719	He was a member of the Colonial Assembly.
Myndert Schuyler	1719	1720	A merchant who ordered small houses built for Native Americans who came to trade.
Pieter Van Brugh	1720	1723	Served a second time as mayor.
Myndert Schuyler	1723	1725	Served a second time as mayor.
Johannes Cuyler	1725	1726	An elder in the Dutch Church and a trader.
Rutger Bleecker	1726	1729	A merchant who made laws about selling drinks to Native Americans.
Johannes DePeyster	1729	1731	He bought Albany's first firefighting tools, like ladders and fire-hooks.
Johannes "Hans" Hansen	1731	1732	A trader who spent much of his youth in Native American lands.
Johannes DePeyster	1732	1732	Served a second time as mayor.
Edward Holland	1733	1740	Albany's first English mayor.
Johannes Schuyler Jr.	1740	1741	A successful businessman. He was offered a second term but declined.
Johannes DePeyster	1741	1742	Served a third time as mayor.
Cornelis Cuyler	1742	1746	A fur trader and merchant who worked with Native American tribes.
Dirck Ten Broeck	1746	1748	A merchant who also served as City Inspector of Skins.
Jacob Coenraedt Ten Eyck	1748	1750	A silversmith and judge. He was active in Albany's Committee of Safety during the Revolutionary War.
Robert Sanders	1750	1754	His administration hosted the Albany Congress, an important meeting of colonial leaders.
Johannes (Hans) Hansen	1754	1756	Served a second time as mayor; he passed away while in office.
Sybrant Gozen Van Schaick	1756	1761	A trader and landowner. His time as mayor saw much activity during the French and Indian War.
Volkert Petrus Douw	1761	1770	A merchant and one of the people who started Albany Savings Bank.
Abraham Cornelis Cuyler	1770	1778	The last mayor of colonial Albany. He was exiled during the American Revolution.
John Barclay	1778	1779	The first mayor under the new State government. He passed away while in office.
Abraham Ten Broeck	1779	1783	A lawyer and banker. During his term, Albany became the capital of New York.
Johannes Jacobse Beekman	1783	1786	He was active in Albany's Committee of Correspondence.
John Lansing Jr.	1786	1790	A delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention. The U.S. Constitution was approved in New York during his term.
Abraham Yates Jr.	1790	1796	Albany's first Postmaster. Oil street lamps were installed during his time as mayor.
Abraham Ten Broeck	1796	1798	Served a second time as mayor.
Philip S. Van Rensselaer	1799	1816	He served the third longest time as mayor. The State Capitol was ordered to be built during his term.

Nineteenth Century Mayors

Mayor	Start	End	Comment
Elisha Jenkins	1816	1819	He was involved in a political disagreement in 1807.
Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer	1819	1820	Completed the term of Elisha Jenkins.
Charles E. Dudley	1821	1824	A merchant who helped start the Erie Canal. The Albany Basin of the Erie Canal was finished during his term.
Ambrose Spencer	1824	1826	He was also the Attorney General of New York.
James Stevenson	1826	1828	A lawyer and one of the first leaders of Albany City Hospital.
Charles E. Dudley	1828	1829	Served a second time as mayor.
John Townsend	1829	1830	He laid the first stone for Albany's old City Hall.
Francis Bloodgood	1831	1831	He was the Clerk of the New York State Supreme Court.
John Townsend	1832	1832	Served a second time as mayor.
Francis Bloodgood	1833	1833	Served a second time as mayor.
Erastus Corning	1834	1837	He helped start the New York Central Railroad.
Teunis Van Vechten	1837	1839	The first locomotive arrived from Boston during his term.
Jared Lewis Rathbone	1839	1841	The last mayor chosen by the city council. He was later elected by popular vote.
Teunis Van Vechten	1841	1842	Served a second time as mayor.
Barent Philip Staats	1842	1843	A physician and alderman.
Friend Humphrey	1843	1845	Albany Rural Cemetery was dedicated during his term. He closed public markets on Sundays.
John Keyes Paige	1845	1846	He was the New York State Supreme Court Clerk.
William Parmelee	1846	1848	A lawyer who also served as a judge.
John Taylor	1848	1849	A brewer known for his large private library.
Friend Humphrey	1849	1850	Served a second time as mayor.
Franklin Townsend	1850	1851	He was the Adjutant General of New York State.
Eli Perry	1851	1854	A merchant who helped organize Albany Law School.
William Parmelee	1854	1856	Served a second time as mayor; he passed away while in office.
Charles Watson Godard	1856	1856	Appointed after William Parmalee's death. He was a prominent speaker and helper of others.
Eli Perry	1856	1860	Served a second time as mayor.
George Hornell Thacher	1860	1862	He led Albany's efforts to help people during the Civil War.
Eli Perry	1862	1866	Served a third time as mayor.
George Hornell Thacher	1866	1868	Served a second time as mayor.
Charles Edward Bleecker	1868	1870	He planned Washington Park. Construction of the Capitol began during his term.
George Hornell Thacher	1870	1874	Served a third time as mayor.
John G. Burch	1874	1874	A coal and wood dealer. He was appointed during a disputed election.
Edmund L. Judson	1874	1876	His election was challenged in court for two years.
Anthony Bleecker Banks	1876	1878	A principal partner in a law publishing company.
Michael N. Nolan	1878	1883	Born in Ireland, he was Albany's first Roman Catholic mayor. The City Hall was destroyed by fire during his term.
John Swinburne	1883	1884	A physician who served in wars. Electric streetlights were installed in Albany during his time.
Anthony Bleecker Banks	1884	1886	Served a second time as mayor.
John Boyd Thacher	1886	1888	An author and philanthropist. His family land later became John Boyd Thacher State Park.
Edward A. Maher	1888	1890	President of Union Railway Company.
James Hilton Manning	1890	1894	The city's trolleys switched to electric power during his term.
Oren Elbridge Wilson	1894	1895	He increased the size of the fire department.
John Boyd Thacher	1896	1897	Served a second time as mayor.
Thomas J. Van Alstyne	1898	1899	A Civil War veteran and attorney. The first public water filtration plant opened during his term.

Twentieth Century Mayors

Mayor	Start	End	Comment
James H. Blessing	1900	1901	An inventor and the first Republican mayor in over 20 years. Albany's first public baths opened during his time.
Charles H. Gaus	1902	1908	A pharmacist and military officer. There were many worker strikes during his term.
Henry F. Snyder	1909	1909	He finished the term of Charles H. Gaus.
James B. McEwan	1910	1913	A coal company president. Glenn Curtiss flew non-stop from Albany to New York City during his term.
Joseph William Stevens	1914	1917	A tobacco merchant and Civil War veteran.
James R. Watt	1918	1921	The last Republican mayor of Albany to date. He was the first Albany mayor to win an election where women could vote.
William Stormont Hackett	1922	1926	A banker and attorney. He passed away in a car accident while in office.
John Boyd Thacher II	1927	1940	An attorney and banker. He served the fourth longest time as mayor.
Herman F. Hoogkamp	1940	1941	He completed the term of John Boyd Thacher II.
Erastus Corning 2nd	1942	1983	The longest-serving mayor of a major city in American history. He passed away while in office during his eleventh term.
Frank Salisbury Harris	1944	1945	He was acting mayor while Corning served in World War II.
Thomas Michael Whalen III	1983	1993	His time as mayor focused on improving city finances and services. Albany was named an "All-American City" under his leadership.
Gerald D. Jennings	1994	2013	A public school teacher and administrator. He was the second longest-serving mayor in Albany's history.

Twenty-first Century Mayors

Mayor	Start	End	Comment
Kathy Sheehan	2014	Present	Mayor Sheehan is the 75th and current mayor of Albany. She is the first female mayor of Albany.