James
Aloysius Farley, the son of a brickmaker, was born in Grassy Point,
New York, on 30th May, 1888. His father, a strong supporter of the
Democratic Party, died in 1897. He
helped his mother run her grocery store before moving to New York
where he attended Packard Commercial School.
Farley became active in the Democratic
Party and in 1918 helped fellow Roman Catholic Alfred
Smith become governor of New York. After Smith's victory he rewarded
Farley with the post of New York Port warden. Eventually Farley became
chairman of the party in New York.
In 1926 Farley established his own business and in 1929 became president
of the General Building Supply Company. When Franklin
D. Roosevelt became the Democratic
Party candidate in the 1932 presidential election, he asked Farley
to run his campaign. He did this successfully and was rewarded with
a place in the Cabinet as Postmaster General.
Farley also managed Roosevelt's campaign in 1936 but disagreed with
him serving a third-term and resigned from the government in 1940.
Farley now returned to the business world and was appointed chairman
of a Coco-Cola division.
