John A. Hastings

John Ambrose Hastings (April 21, 1900 – December 8, 1964) was an American politician from New York.

Life

He was born on April 21, 1900. He was Secretary and Treasurer of the All-American Brokers' Insurance Company. He married Margaret M. Crowley, and they had four children: John Barry Hastings, Warren T. Hastings, Marjorie Hastings and Virginia M. Hastings.

Hastings was elected to the New York State Senate (7th D.) in 1922, then the youngest New York state senator in history.^[1] He remained in the State Senate from 1923 to 1932, sitting in the 146th, 147th, 148th, 149th, 150th, 151st, 152nd, 153rd, 154th and 155th New York State Legislatures; and was Chairman of the Committee on Printed and Engrossed Bills from 1923 to 1924.

Early in 1923, he sponsored anti-Ku Klux Klan legislation. On March 27, 1923, a parcel with a large quantity of drugs was left for him at the Ten Eyck Hotel in Albany, and Hastings suspected that it was a frame-up by the Klan or some other enemies.^[2] On April 25, he accused Philip Francis and Samuel Woodrow, two New York City newspaper editorial writers, of having planted the drug package.^[3]

In October 1930, he suffered from acute appendicitis, was operated, and survived.^[4] Less than a year previously, the Democratic State Assembly minority leaders Maurice Bloch and Peter J. Hamill had died from appendicitis.

In November 1931, he accompanied Mayor Jimmy Walker on his visit to imprisoned labor leader Thomas Mooney in San Francisco.^[5]

During the Seabury Commission's investigation of corruption in New York City, Hastings was subpoenaed to testify before the Hofstadter Committee, but did not appear on January 4, 1932.^[6] Hastings was held in contempt, and was sentenced on January 29 by Supreme Court Justice Peter A. Hatting to 30 days in jail.^[7] On February 5, the Appellate Division upheld the jail sentence.^[8] On March 3, the New York Court of Appeals overturned the Appellate Division and, citing faulty procedure, voided the jail sentence.^[9] Haggling over how to proceed to get Hastings to testify ensued for the following weeks. On March 21, Hastings appeared before the Committee, but refused to answer any questions.^[10] Subsequently Hastings himself was investigated, and was accused of having received money and stock for his lobbying on behalf of private bus companies. On May 19, Hastings finally appeared before the Hofstadter Committee, answered questions to defend himself,^[11] and denied all charges.^[12] Testimony before the Hofstadter Committee showed that Hastings was heavily involved in the corrupt proceedings which led to Mayor Walker's resignation on September 1. Nevertheless, Hastings was nominated to run for re-election to his Senate seat.^[13] He was defeated in November 1932 by Republican George Blumberg although a Democratic U.S. President, New York Governor and New York Senate majority were elected at that time.^[14] Afterwards he became a public transport expert.

On September 3, 1933, after a row at his Summer home in Kensington, New York, Hastings was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.^[15] Later he pleaded guilty and received a suspended sentence.^[16]

In 1936, he ran on a "Loyal Party" ticket for Congress^[17] in New York's 16th congressional district, but was defeated by the incumbent Democrat John J. O'Connor.

He died on December 8, 1964, in Stuyvesant Polyclinic Hospital in Manhattan.^[18]

References

1. YOUNGEST SENATOR IN THIS STATE IS 22 in the New York Times on November 11, 1922
2. DRUG PACKAGE SENT TO STATE SENATOR in the New York Times on March 28, 1923 (subscription required)
3. HASTINGS SAYS WRITERS LAID NARCOTIC "PLANT" in the New York Times on April 26, 1923 (subscription required)
4. J. A. HASTINGS OPERATED ON in the New York Times on October 12, 1930 (subscription required)
5. WALKER OFF TONIGHT TO FIGHT FOR MOONEY in the New York Times on November 21, 1931 (subscription required)
6. SEABURY SUBPOENA DEFIED BY HASTINGS in the New York Times on January 5, 1932 (subscription required)
7. HASTINGS SENTENCED; Senator Gets 30-Day Term for Defying Seabury Subpoena in the New York Times on January 30, 1932 (subscription required)
8. HASTINGS JAIL TERM UPHELD ON APPEAL in the New York Times on February 6, 1932 (subscription required)
9. HASTINGS AND DOYLE WIN THEIR APPEALS; JAIL TERMS INVALID in the New York Times on March 4, 1932 (subscription required)
10. NEW HASTINGS FIGHT; Senator Appears, but Refuses to Reply to Questions at Private Hearing in the New York Times on March 22, 1932 (subscription required)
11. HASTINGS ON STAND VAGUE AS TO FAILURE TO LIST $18,000 JOB in the New York Times on May 20, 1932 (subscription required)
12. HASTINGS IN REPLY DENIES ALL CHARGES in the New York Times on May 21, 1932 (subscription required)
13. Hastings Renominated in the New York Times on September 21, 1932 (subscription required)
14. DEMOCRATIC SWEEP IS RECORD FOR CITY in the New York Times on November 9, 1932 (subscription required)
15. HASTINGS ARRESTED AFTER ROW IN HOME in the New York Times on September 5, 1933 (subscription required)
16. HASTINGS PLEADS GUILTY in the New York Times on November 16, 1933 (subscription required)
17. SIX CANDIDATES FILE UNDER UNION PARTY; Hastings to Oppose O'Connor in the New York Times on October 7, 1936 (subscription required)
18. "John A. Hastings, Ex-State Senator". New York Times. December 11, 1964. Retrieved 2015-11-25.