Editing William O'Dwyer (section)

==Life and career==
O'Dwyer was born in [[Bohola]], [[County Mayo]], Ireland and studied at [[St. Nathys College]], [[Ballaghaderreen]], [[County Roscommon]].  In 1907, O'Dwyer began to study for the priesthood at the [[Pontifical University of Salamanca]], a [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] seminary in Spain,<ref name="Devine">{{cite book |url=https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-0700221 |title=Biography: O'Dwyer, William (11 July 1890–24 November 1964) |last=Devine |first=Thomas W. |date=2019 |series=American National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0700221 |isbn=978-0-19-860669-7 |access-date=September 9, 2019}}</ref> where he became fluent in [[Spanish language|Spanish]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lehman |first=Herbert H. |date=September 18, 1950 |title=Congressional Record:U.S. Senate; Nomination of William O'Dwyer to be U.S. Ambassador to Mexico |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1950-pt11/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1950-pt11-8-1.pdf |location=Washington, DC |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=14998 |author-link=Herbert H. Lehman}}</ref>  He later decided not to join the clergy, and emigrated to the United States in 1910.<ref name="Devine"/> He sailed to New York as a steerage passenger on board the liner ''Philadelphia'' and was inspected at Ellis Island on June 27, 1910. He first worked as a laborer, then as a [[New York City police]] officer, while studying law at night at [[Fordham University Law School]]. He received his degree in 1923 and then built up a successful practice before serving as a Kings County ([[Brooklyn]]) Court judge. He won election as the [[Kings County District Attorney]] in November 1939<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hagerty|first1=James A.|title=Goldstein Winner – Schurman and Other La Guardia Choices Trail in Returns –O'Dwyer New Prosecutor – Organization Elects 9 Supreme Court Justices – Council Vote Count Begins Today|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/11/08/112722819.html?pageNumber=1|access-date=21 October 2016|newspaper=New York Times|date=November 8, 1939|page=1}}</ref> and his prosecution of the organized crime syndicate known as [[Murder, Inc.]] made him a national celebrity.

After losing the mayoral election to [[Fiorello La Guardia]] in 1941, O'Dwyer joined the [[United States Army]] for [[World War II]], achieving the rank of [[brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] as a member of the Allied Commission for Italy and executive director of the [[War Refugee Board]], for which he received the [[Legion of Merit]].<ref>Ralph J. Caliendo, [https://books.google.com/books?id=WN90SSAJ4JMC&pg=PA90 ''New York City Mayors: Part II: the Mayors of Greater New York From 1898''], 2010, p. 90</ref> During that time, he was on leave from his elected position as district attorney and replaced by his chief assistant, [[Thomas Cradock Hughes]], and was re-elected in November 1943.

In 1945, O'Dwyer received the support of [[Tammany Hall]] leader Edward V. Loughlin, won the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]ic nomination, and then easily won the mayoral election. At his inauguration, O'Dwyer celebrated to the song, "It's a Great Day for the Irish", and addressed the 700 people gathered in Council Chambers at [[New York City Hall|City Hall]]: "It is our high purpose to devote our whole time, our whole energy to do good work...." He established the Office of City Construction Coordinator, appointing [[New York City Parks Commissioner|Park Commissioner]] [[Robert Moses]] to the post, worked to have the permanent home of the [[United Nations]] located in Manhattan, presided over the first billion-dollar New York City budget, created a traffic department and raised the [[New York City Subway|subway]] fare from five cents to ten cents. In 1948, O'Dwyer received [[The Hundred Year Association of New York]]'s Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York." In 1948, he received the epithets "Whirling Willie" and "Flip-Flop Willie" from U.S. Representative [[Vito Marcantonio]] of the opposition [[American Labor Party]] while the latter was campaigning for [[Henry A. Wallace]].<ref>{{cite news
|first=James A.|last=Hagerty|title=48,000 Hear Wallace Assert Prejudice Will Fail in South|newspaper=New York Times|page=1|date=11 September 1948|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/09/11/archives/48000-hear-wallace-assert-prejudice-will-fail-in-south-progressive.html|access-date=28 November 2017}}</ref>

Shortly after his re-election to the mayoralty in 1949, O'Dwyer was confronted with a police corruption scandal uncovered by the [[Kings County District Attorney]], Miles McDonald. O'Dwyer resigned from office on August 31, 1950. Upon his resignation, he was given a ticker tape parade up Broadway's [[Canyon of Heroes]] in the borough of Manhattan. President [[Harry Truman]] appointed him [[U.S. Ambassador to Mexico]]. He returned to [[New York City]] in 1951 to answer questions concerning his association with organized crime figures and the accusations followed him for the rest of his life. He resigned as ambassador on December 6, 1952, but remained in Mexico until 1960.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of New York |url=http://home.nyc.gov/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html#o'dwyer |title=William O'Dwyer, 100th Mayor, 1946–1950 (1890–1964) |access-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807093732/http://home.nyc.gov/html/nyc100/html/classroom/hist_info/mayors.html#o'dwyer#o'dwyer |archive-date=August 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

He helped organize the first Israel Day Parade,<ref>Jewish Telegraphic Agency, [http://archive.jta.org/article/1949/05/05/3018950/150000-cheer-jewish-state-at-new-york-celebration-of-israeli-independence-day "150,000 Cheer Jewish State at New York Celebration of Israeli Independence Day"], republished on ''Jewish News Archive'', original story May 5, 1949 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811175032/http://archive.jta.org/article/1949/05/05/3018950/150000-cheer-jewish-state-at-new-york-celebration-of-israeli-independence-day |date=August 11, 2011 }}</ref> along with New York's Jewish community.