The information and photos on this page were excerpted from the Abraham D. Beame Collection LaGuardia and Wagner Archives LaGuardia Community College/CUNY
(Photo of Abraham Beame)
Abraham D. Beame enjoyed a long and distinguished career in public service. For 31 years, from 1946 to 1977, he held a series of positions at the highest levels of government in New York City. These included budget director, two terms as Comptroller and a term as the city's 104th Mayor, from 1974 to 1977. Beame's life and public career epitomize the meteoric rise and important contributions of immigrants to New York City in the twentieth century. 

New York City's first Jewish mayor
In the Mayoral campaign of 1973 Beame emerged as the most experienced and respected Democrat in a wide field of candidates. To secure the nomination he defeated Herman Badillo in a bitter, racially charged primary run off. In November he won 60% of the vote, easily defeating three others to become Mayor.
When Beame took office New York was in the grip of a serious fiscal crisis. The city was over $200 million in debt, and by 1975 the deficit was projected to top $1.5 billion, out of a total budget of $12 billion.
It was during Beame's term that President Gerald Ford refused to provide federal aid to New York City, prompting the now famous New York Daily News headline: "Ford to New York: Drop Dead." But Beame helped the city get annual federal loans of $2.3 billion, starting in 1976, which helped stave off bankruptcy. 
The highlight of the Beame Mayoralty was in 1976, when he organized the city's Bicentennial celebration and hosted the Democratic National Convention. These events revitalized Beame's confidence and improved his political fortunes.
He decided to run for reelection in 1977. In a tight, six way race he lost the Democratic Primary, finishing third behind Mario Cuomo and Edward Koch, ending his political career. 

• View the entire LaGuardia/Wagner Archive on Abe Beame here
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Born in London, England 1906
Died in New York City 2001

"New York City's first Jewish mayor"

Abraham Beame's Polish-Jewish parents had fled Warsaw, Poland where his father was wanted by the police for revolutionary activities. Beame's mother went to London and a few months after Abraham was born, they joined his father in New York City, passing through the immigration station on Ellis Island. 
Beame grew up in modest circumstances on Manhattan's Lower East Side and took advantage of services and opportunities available to immigrants. He played sports and checkers at the University Settlement House, where he met his future wife, Mary. He attended Socialist Party meetings with his father, and recalls hearing Eugene V. Debs and other Socialist luminaries speak.
While those radical political ideas had little impact on Beame, he developed the belief that government should take an active role in the social and economic well being of its citizens.
Beame graduated from the High School of Commerce with a perfect score on his Regents book keeping exam and attended City College, which was a highly competitive, tuition-free institution that catered to gifted but poor immigrant students. In 1928 Beame graduated with honors with a degree in Business Administration. Shortly thereafter, he attained his accounting license and formed an accounting firm with a long time friend. 

The Great Depression of the 1930s hurt Beame's accounting business and he took up teaching at Richmond Hill High School in Queens. During this time Beame became active in politics, joining the powerful Madison Democratic Club in Brooklyn. He worked as an electoral-district captain and was recognized for his skills at turning out the vote for Democratic candidates. Beame was appointed to his first government job as assistant budget director by Democratic Mayor William O'Dwyer in 1946. The job was a reward not only for Beame's loyalty and hard work for the Democratic party but also for his expertise in finance. Six years later, he was appointed budget director and managed a public budget second in size and complexity only to the Federal Government.