New York State Constitutional Convention, 1938 Records of William S. Bennet

Alphabetical.

In 1900, William Bennet was elected to the New York State Assembly as a representative of Manhattan's 21st election district. As assemblyman, he was instrumental in passing the ealy labor legislation of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), as well as the Employer's Liability Bill, which was a forerunner to the Workmen's Compensation Act. From 1905 to 1911, and again from 1915 to 1917, Bennet served in the U.S. Congress. As a member of the immigration committee, he helped to create the United States Immigration Commission. He also served on a bipartisan Rules Committee that drafted legislation to fight the First World War. Bennet later sat as a delegate on the New York State constitutional convention of 1938, which succeeded in getting voters to approve a number of significant amendments to the state's constitution, most of which expanded state government responsibility for social welfare programs.

This series consists of William Stiles Bennet's records from the 1938 Constitutional Convention. The records include correspondence, proposed amendments and bills, and miscellaneous literature and pamphlets regarding changes to the Constitution.

Folder list is available at the repository.

These records were donated to Syracuse University by Augustus W. Bennet in 1962. They were later transferred to the New York State Archives and the University at Albany in June 2006.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.