X-Nico

4 unusual facts about Jasper McLevy


Jasper McLevy

Jasper McLevy (March 27, 1878—November 20, 1962) was an American politician who served as mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut from 1933-1957.

The 24-year-old idealist first ran for the Connecticut General Assembly under the Socialist banner in 1902, collecting a grand total of 215 votes.

This caused friction between McLevy and other local Socialists who stayed with the party, including journalist Devere Allen, a close associate of party leader Norman Thomas, and state representative Jack Bergen.

As early as 1936, left-wing socialists, such as party leader Norman Thomas, accused McLevy, a member of the Old Guard, of only paying "lip service" to socialism.


Irving Freese

In October 1933, he met Elizabeth Hutchinson, the niece of the newly elected mayor of nearby Bridgeport, Jasper McLevy at his victory party.

Jack Bergen

An active Socialist Party of America member (secretary of the local branch), he was elected to the city school board and in 1934 was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives as part of the Socialist sweep of local elections under Mayor Jasper McLevy, while working as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration supervisor.


see also