JOHN PURROY MITCHEL, 5th Avenue and 91st Street

by Kevin Walsh

Known as “The Boy Mayor” as the youngest NYC chief executive to date, John Purroy Mitchel was elected in 1913 at the age of 34. After losing his bid for reelection in 1917, he was killed while training for the air corps in World War I after a freak accident, falling out of his plane after apparently not sufficiently tightening a seat belt. During Mitchel’s tenure in City Hall, a young man began working for NYC civil service who would leave a substantial mark over the next five decades…his name was Robert Moses.

A gilded bust sculpted by Adolph Weinman and augmented with exquisitely formed lettering was placed here in his honor in 1926.

From FNY’s Central Park Statues page

2/5/13

7 comments

bill s February 5, 2013 - 8:59 pm

“aviary corps”?!

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Steve February 6, 2013 - 9:21 am

Yeah, best to fix that if possible– Air Corps or Aviation Corps is correct. Aviary is a big bird house– like the geodesic dome at the Queens Zoo, right? Strange story, this one. Well connected, former mayor– (likely future governor?)– going off at the ancient age of 38 (today the age limit is 26 for Air Force aviation cadets) to do dangerous things in dangerous airplanes, to go to a dangerous war. Obviously a single man, with no kids, no doubt. And the irony and stupidity is of course that he fell out of his aircraft because he didn’t buckle up. Yet, he gets a fancy monument. That’s NY!

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Kevin Walsh February 6, 2013 - 10:31 am

It was a careless error. Will fix.

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Joe Fliel February 6, 2013 - 8:02 pm

If you’re referring to the seat belt thing, I believe it’s a case of a day late and a dollar short. 🙂

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Gary Farkash February 9, 2013 - 2:55 pm

And if memory serves me correct-He was also honored by having an air field named after him-Mitchel Field in Garden City, Nassau County. This is where the Cradle of Aviaition Museum is today

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dick orsini February 12, 2013 - 5:25 pm

he also had the honor of a fireboat named for him, and if im not mistaken the remains of which are located off staten island ship graveyard on a diffeint web site

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Trish Byrne August 7, 2014 - 2:25 am

Have just read about his grandfather, also John, imprisoned on Spike Island, Co. Cork. An Irish nationalist born near Derry, Ulster. He wrote his Jail Journal, famous in Irish literature.

Reply

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