Robert Watson Pomeroy (June 21, 1902 – January 4, 1989) was an American businessman and politician from New York.

Robert Watson Pomeroy
Member of the New York Senate
from the 35th district
In office
January 1, 1966 – December 31, 1966
Preceded byEarl E. Boyle
Succeeded byJames H. Donovan
Member of the New York Senate
from the 35th district
In office
January 1, 1965 – December 31, 1965
Preceded byErnest I. Hatfield
Succeeded byDennis R. Coleman
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the Dutchess County district
In office
November 4, 1947 – December 31, 1964
Preceded byErnest I. Hatfield
Succeeded byVictor C. Waryas
Personal details
Born(1902-06-21)June 21, 1902
Buffalo, New York
DiedJanuary 4, 1989(1989-01-04) (aged 86)
Millbrook, New York
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Estelle Bassett
(m. 1930; died 1988)
RelationsTheodore M. Pomeroy (grandfather)
Children2
Parent(s)Robert Watson Pomeroy, Sr.
Lucy Bemis Pomeroy
EducationHotchkiss School
Alma materYale University

Early life edit

He was born on June 21, 1902, in Buffalo, New York, the son of Robert Watson Pomeroy, Sr. (1868–1935),[1] a Yale graduate who was an industrialist and financier in Buffalo and New York,[2] and Lucy (née Bemis) Pomeroy (1869–1958), a former president of the Palmetto Garden Club.[3] He attended the Hotchkiss School. He graduated with a Ph.B. from Yale University in 1924.[4]

His paternal grandparents were Elizabeth (née Watson) Pomeroy,[1] and Congressman Theodore M. Pomeroy (1824–1905) who served as the 26th Speaker of the House following Schuyler Colfax and was a close friend of U.S. Secretary of State (under Lincoln) William H. Seward.[5]

Career edit

After graduating from Yale, he engaged in the management of investments. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of captain. After the war he entered politics as a Republican.[4]

Pomeroy was a member of the New York State Assembly (Dutchess Co.) from 1948 to 1964, sitting in the 166th, 167th, 168th, 169th, 170th, 171st, 172nd, 173rd and 174th New York State Legislatures. He was a leading conservationist, and was Chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Natural Resources from 1959 to 1965.

He was a member of the New York State Senate in 1965 and 1966;[6] and a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967.[7]

Personal life edit

In 1930, he married Estelle Condit Bassett (1907–1988), the daughter of Carroll Phillips Bassett and Margaret (née Condit) Bassett.[8][9] Together, they were the parents of two children:

He died on January 4, 1989, at his home in Millbrook, New York, of heart failure;[4] and was buried at St. Peter's Episcopal Cemetery in Lithgow.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "R. W. POMEROY DIES; FINANCIAL LEADER; Director of Buffalo Bank, the Erie Railroad and Part Owner of Silver Mine" (PDF). The New York Times. April 18, 1935. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  2. ^ The Yale Literary Magazine. Yale Literary Society. 1889. p. 430. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  3. ^ "MRS. R. W. POMEROY SR" (PDF). The New York Times. April 19, 1958. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Robert Pomeroy, 86, An Ex-Legislator, Dies in the New York Times on January 10, 1989
  5. ^ Pomeroy, Robert Watson (1910). A Sketch of the Life of Theodore Medad Pomeroy, 1824-1905. Cayuga County, New York: Cayuga County Historical Society. p. 68. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  6. ^ "G.O.P. TO PRESENT NEW FACES IN FALL; Derounian Only Ex-Member in Serious House Race" (PDF). The New York Times. April 3, 1966. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  7. ^ Directory of Delegates and Staff of the NYS Constitutional Convention (1967; pg. 80)
  8. ^ "ESTELLE C. BASSETT ENGAGED TO MARRY; Will Become Bride of Robert Watson Pomeroy Jr. of Bedford Hills, N.Y. BOTH OF COLONIAL STOCK Miss Bassett Introduced to Society Three Years Ago--Fiance a Graduate of Yale" (PDF). The New York Times. May 24, 1930. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  9. ^ The New York Red Book. Williams Press. 1955. p. 205. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  10. ^ Woodcock, George (1976). Canadian Poets, 1960-1973: A List. Dundurn. p. 47. ISBN 9780919614147. Retrieved 17 December 2018.

External links edit

New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly
Dutchess County

1948–1964
Succeeded by
New York State Senate
Preceded by New York State Senate
35th District

1965
Succeeded by
Preceded by New York State Senate
44th District

1966
Succeeded by