Two (2) "Empire State Observatory" Annual Passes, both issued to "Hon. Wm. O'Dwyer and Guests" - one for 1949 and one for 1950. Each with an accompanying letter on Empire State stationery forwarding the pass to the Mayor.
Both with rush clip staining, one more prominent than the other, as shown.
William O'Dwyer
(1890-1964) was born in Ireland and studied for the priesthood in
Spain. He later decided not to join the clergy and immigrated to the
United States in 1910. He worked as a laborer and police officer while
studying law at Fordham University Law School, from which he received
his degree in 1923. In 1916, he married Catherine Lenihan (d. 1946), but
they had no children. He built a successful law practice and won
election as Kings County District Attorney in 1939. His prosecution of
organized crime made him a national celebrity. He lost the 1941 New York
City mayoral election to Fiorello La Guardia and joined the United
States Army. He reached the rank of brigadier general and served as
director of the War Refugee Board. In 1945, he won the Democratic
nomination for mayor with the support of Tammany Hall and easily won
election as the 100th Mayor of New York City. As mayor he successfully
bid for the permanent home of the United Nations to be in Manhattan,
presided over the first billion-dollar city budget, and raised subway
fares from five to ten cents. In December 1949, he married Elizabeth
Sloan Simpson, but they divorced in 1953. He was reelected as mayor in
1949, but a police corruption scandal led to his resignation on August
31, 1950. President Harry S. Truman appointed him as U.S. Ambassador to
Mexico in November 1950, and he resigned in December 1952, remaining in
Mexico until 1960. In 1951, he returned to New York City to answer
questions regarding his association with organized crime, and the
accusations followed him for the rest of his life.
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