George Brinton McClellan Jr. (November 23, 1865November 30, 1940), was an American politician and historian. He was elected as the 94th Mayor of New York City, serving from 1904 to 1909. He was the son of Civil War general George B. McClellan, who was the 1864 Democratic presidential nominee.

Life and career

McClellan, known to his family as "Max", was born in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, where his parents were visiting. He went to school in Trenton in New Jersey – where his father was Governor – and later Saint John's School in Ossining, New York. From 1885 to 1888 he served in the New York Army National Guard.

Mayor of New York City

In November 1903, McClellan defeated the sitting mayor, Seth Low (independent Fusion), for a two-year term. He was re-elected in 1905, after the restoration of four-year mayoral terms. The party did not nominate him in 1909 for a third term.

He is notable in the history of movie censorship for canceling all moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908, claiming that the new medium degraded the morals of the community and that celluloid film was an unacceptable fire hazard.

On October 27, 1904, the Interborough Rapid Transit, New York City's first subway, opened. McClellan was to start the first train at the City Hall Station, and then hand it over to an IRT motorman. However, he was enjoying himself so much that he refused to give up the controls until the train reached 103rd Street Station.

U.S. Presidential candidacy

McClellan ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 1904, receiving 3 votes on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention.

Later career

Throughout his political career, McClellan remained interested in education and in 1906 he was named honorary Chancellor of Union College. At Princeton he delivered the Stafford Little lectures on public affairs (1908–1910), served as university lecturer (1911–1912) and was subsequently

appointed a professor of economic history.

McClellan served in World War I, entering the Army as major assigned to the Ordnance Department in May 1917. He was honorably discharged in May 1919 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Personal life

McClellan married Georgiana Heckscher on October 30, 1889.

McClellan died on November 30, 1940, one week after his 75th birthday, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Selected works

  • The Oligarchy of Venice. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1904.
  • The Heel of War. New York: G.W. Dillingham Company, 1916.
  • Venice and Bonaparte. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1931.
  • Modern Italy: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1933.
  • The Gentleman and the Tiger: The Autobiography of George B. McClellan Jr.. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1956.

See also

  • Mayor of New York City
  • List of mayors of New York City
  • New York City mayoral elections

References

Notes

Sources

  • Some of the text is taken from , which is in the public domain

Further reading

  • Mulrine, M. Barbara. The Price of Honor: The Life and Times of George Brinton McClellan Jr. (2011), The standard scholarly biography
  • Syrett, Harold C., "Introduction" to The Gentleman and the Tiger: The Autobiography of George B. McClellan Jr.. (1956) pp 9–39
  • Vatsal, Radha. No. 10 Doyers Street (2025). Work of fiction.
  • From Regulation to Censorship: Film and Political Culture in New York in the Early Twentieth Century