Levy, Jefferson Monroe

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LEVY, JEFFERSON MONROE

LEVY, JEFFERSON MONROE (1852–1924), U.S. congressman and lawyer. Levy, who was born in New York City, served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1899–1901, and 1911–15). He was a leader of the "Gold Democrats" during his first term, and sponsored the Reserve Bank Bill during his second and third terms. Levy advocated the maintenance of a large navy, led the fight that resulted in higher wages for the nation's postal clerks, was instrumental in codifying New York State's election laws and reforming the surrogate courts, and exposed instances of waste and extravagance in Mayor John Purroy Mitchel's generally reformist and efficient administration (1913–17) in New York City. He was the nephew of Uriah P. *Levy, from whom he inherited Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.