Dewey, Thomas Edmund

DEWEY, THOMAS EDMUND

Thomas Edmund Dewey was born March 24, 1902, in Owosso, Michigan. He received a bachelor of arts degree in 1923 from the University of Michigan and a bachelor of laws degree from Columbia University in 1925.

After his admission to the bar in 1925, Dewey established his legal practice before becoming U. S. Attorney for the Southern District

of New York in 1933. During the next three years, Dewey achieved prominence for his campaign against crime in New York City, serving as special prosecutor to probe the activities of organized crime from 1935 to 1937 and as district attorney of New York county from 1937 to 1938.

Dewey's public service to the state of New York culminated in his election as governor in 1942; he remained in this post until 1954.

Twice during his years as governor, Dewey unsuccessfully sought election to the U. S. presidency. He was the Republican candidate in 1944 but was defeated by franklin delano roosevelt; he ran again in 1948 but lost by a small percentage of votes to harry s. truman.

As an author, Dewey is famous for several publications, including Journey to the Far Pacific (1952), which is a chronicle of his trip to the Far East.

Dewey died March 16, 1971, in Bal Harbour, Florida.