ALUMNICONNECTIONS Your Lifetime Network of Support | January 2007 Meet the Network Building Buzz For the next two years, while its new home is being constructed, the Mendik Library is being housed in spacious and beautiful quarters on several floors in 40 Worth Street. The sale of the Mendik Library building on Church Street last June was the first step in the expansion and renovation of the Eliot Engel ’87 Mike Arcuri ’84 New York Law School campus in TriBeCa. New York Law School Alumni Are in the House Although the building was sold, the Library will retain the Mendik name in the new When the new Congress convenes in January 2007, two New York Law School building, scheduled to open in fall 2008. alumni, both Democrats, will take their places among the membership. One of them, Eliot Engel ’87, was first elected to Congress in 1988 and won his tenth term in ”New York Law School is delighted that the Mendik Library will live on in the new November 2006. Congressman Engel represents the 17th Congressional District in building,” Dean Richard A. Matasar said. the Bronx and Westchester County. The other alumnus, Mike Arcuri ’84, was elected “Bernard Mendik ’58 was one of our most to Congress for the first time last November. Mr. Arcuri, the District Attorney of outstanding and generous alumni, and we are Oneida County since 1993, will represent the 24th Congressional District. very pleased to continue to honor his memory.” Mike Arcuri is only the third Democrat ever elected to the position of District Mr. Mendik died in 2001. His widow, Susan Attorney in Oneida County, and the first in more than 40 years. During his Mendik, is a member of the New York Law 12 years in office, the Assistant District Attorneys in his office carried one of School Board of Trustees. the highest case loads of any county in New York and sustained a 90 percent conviction rate. In 2003, Mr. Arcuri was elected President of the New York Did you know? State District Attorneys Association. Three New York Law School alumni were Mr. Arcuri said his memories of New York Law School include many late nights consecutive mayors of New York City: studying and then going out for dinner in Chinatown. “If law school can be said – John Purroy Mitchel, Class of 1901, to be fun at all, those were the fun times,” he recalled. Mayor from 1914 – 1917 – John F. Hylan, Class of 1897, On a more serious note, Mr. Arcuri said that he appreciated that “New York Law Mayor from 1918 – 1925 School really didn’t just spoon feed the law to you.” The Law School offered him – James J. Walker, Class of 1905, “a perspective on national and international issues that has been very helpful to Mayor from 1926 – 1932 me in my career.” Y our Lifetime Network of Support | J anuary 2007 New York Law School Heritage Meet John Purroy Mitchel, Class of 1901 in municipal politics. Both the Church establishment and Tammany Hall fought against Mr. Purroy Mitchel, and he was a one-term mayor, leaving office in 1917. Mr. Purroy Mitchel then joined the Signal Corps Army Air service. On July 6, 1918, while training as a pilot, Mr. Purroy Mitchel fell out of his aircraft and plummeted to the ground, dying instantly. It is believed that he had failed to fasten his seat belt. The Boy Mayor was gone, less than two weeks before his 39th birthday. He was and remains, at age 34, the youngest individual ever Although many people believe it was named after General Billy to serve as mayor of New York City. A famous air field is Mitchell and spell it incorrectly with a double “l,” Mitchel named after him, and there is a monument to him in Central Field on Long Island is actually named for John Purroy Park. He battled municipal corruption and enlisted to serve Mitchel. He also has been memorialized in a monument in his country in World War I, only to be killed in a bizarre Central Park, located on the terrace at the reservoir near the training accident. Engineer’s Gate at 90th Street and Fifth Avenue. He is John Purroy Mitchel, the “Boy Mayor of New York City,” and a graduate of New York Law School. Born in 1879, John Purroy Mitchel earned a bachelor’s degree Alumni Corner from Columbia University in 1899 and graduated from New York Law School in 1901. How much do you know about New York Law School alumni in the political world? See if you can answer Mr. Purroy Mitchel first rose to prominence in 1905 at the these questions: age of 26 when he headed an investigation into the activities of Manhattan Borough President John F. Ahearn and Bronx 1. One alumnus who served as mayor of New York has a major thoroughfare named after him. Who is the Borough President Louis Haffin. As a result of his efforts, mayor, what is the name of the street, and where is Governor Charles Evans Hughes removed Mr. Ahearn from it located? office in 1907 and Mr. Haffin from office in 1909. 2. Name a senator, a mayor, and a city council member Mr. Purroy Mitchel emerged with a strong reputation as who all had the same name and tell us which one was a reformer, which earned him the support of anti-Tammany a New York Law School graduate? forces. In 1909, he was elected President of the Board of Alderman (the equivalent of today’s city council). 3. When James J. Walker won re-election as mayor in Mr. Purroy Mitchel is credited with drafting the city’s 1929, he defeated a famous, future mayor of New York. first comprehensive budget, with a full accounting of all Can you name him? of the city’s resources. Four years later, he was elected the 4. John Marshall Harlan II ’24 served as a U.S. Supreme 95th mayor of New York on a Fusion Party slate made up Court Justice from 1955 to 1971. Can you name another of Republicans and Jewish and Protestant reformers. U.S. Supreme Court Justice who attended New York Law School? Mr. Purroy Mitchel introduced a series of waste-cutting measures and accounting practices that earned national acclaim 5. David Boies presented a master class at New York for New York City. He brought many competent professionals Law School in 2006. What role did he play in the into city government and developed the first zoning plan to 2000 election? govern city development in the United States. He also To take this survey and see the answers, please visit standardized salary and work requirements for city employees. the Alumni & Friends page on the New York Law School Web site, www.nyls.edu. Although Mr. Purroy Mitchel was a devout Catholic, he was highly critical of the Irish Catholic establishment’s favoritism ALUMNICONNECTIONS Alumni in Brief John J. Reddy, Jr. ’79 Mr. Reddy lectures before many bar associations and has worked to train minority attorneys for certification as guardians ad-litem [GALs] in the surrogate’s court. In cooperation with several bar associations representing minority populations, he co-chaired a course training more than 100 lawyers—a significant number since there are only about 800 lawyers certified and registered for New York County. Susan E. Cohig ’02 John J. Reddy, Jr. ’79 (left) with Lawrence Silverman ’77 and Judge Kathy Freed ’77 The new President of the Alumni Association, John J. Reddy, Jr. ’79, found more than a career at New York Law School. During his first year in 1976, Mr. Reddy joined the Student Bar Association. The co-secretary was a student named Christa Hoeher. One thing led to another and today, John and Christa Reddy can look back on 26 years of marriage and three children: Joe (age 22); Marie (age 17); and Kathryn (age 15). Susan E. Cohig ’02 always had an interest in the law, but for many years, the time was just not right for her to pursue that Mr. Reddy also is pleased with his career. A partner in the interest. She began her career in radio in Denver, Colorado law firm of Bekerman & Reddy, LLP, Mr. Reddy has been and then worked for the Denver Nuggets basketball team. associated with the Counsel to the Public Administrator of When the club purchased a hockey franchise, Ms. Cohig New York County since 1979, and has served as Counsel switched sports. Eventually, she moved to New York to work since 1996. for the National Hockey League. Mr. Reddy has fond memories of several New York Law Finally, the time was right for law school, and Ms. Cohig School teachers, especially Professor Joseph Arenson, who enrolled in the Evening Division as a part-time student. helped him begin his career in trusts and estates. “I literally loaded up,” she recalled, and in just three and “Joe Arenson gave me a job while I was still in law school,” one-half years, she completed her studies. Mr. Reddy recalled. “Eventually I became a partner in As Group Vice President for Club Services for the National his firm and now I have his old job as Counsel to the Hockey League, Ms. Cohig is involved with sales, marketing Public Administrator.” and operational issues, but her law degree is very useful. Mr. Reddy described another teacher of his, Professor Many of the League’s executives are lawyers, and Ms. Cohig Milton Silverman, as “an absolute joy.” He remembered that is involved with some contract work.