Frank X. Schwab
Encyclopedia
Francis Xavier Schwab was Mayor
of the City of Buffalo, New York
, serving 1922–1929. He was born on Smith Street on the Buffalo's East Side on August 14, 1874. At 19, he became a foreman at the Pullman Palace Car Company, then known as the Wagner Palace Car Company, and took a job as a traveling salesman for the company. He then became a brewery solicitor, eventually becoming the highest paid brewery solicitor in Buffalo. He married Theresa M. Lauser on September 24, 1901. He opened a wholesale and retail liquor store at Broadway and Jefferson Avenue in 1912. He became president and general manager of the Mohawk Products Company; the merged Buffalo Brewing Company and the Cooperative Brewing Company formed during Prohibition
to make near-beer
.
Schwab's rise in the Buffalo brewing industry was short lived because of the enactment of prohibition in 1919. Even though Schwab transitioned into the production of near beer he would take the opportunity to speak out against the Volstead Act whenever possible. "By this time, Frank Schwab had developed a personal style that delighted his friends and infuriated his enemies". The Buffalo Brewing company, Schwab's brewery, was raided by Federal agents who found illegal beer resulting in an indictment for Schwab. Schwab was an unlikely candidate for mayor.He had no political experience, he was Catholic, and under federal indictment for illegal possession of alcohol. But in 1921, as a joke the Knights of St. John circulated a petition on behalf of Schwab for his mayoral candidacy.
He was elected Mayor on November 8, 1921, as the Republican
candidate. During his term, in the summer of 1922, the last and most bitter street railway strike occurred; Schwab declared a transportation emergency and authorized the running of buses. Finally, the International Railway Company went open shop
and the union was broken. In 1923–1924, the city purchased land for an airfield and, on September 27, 1926, Mayor Schwab laid the cornerstone of the administration building for the Buffalo Airport
. Schwab was easily re-elected to a second term on November 4, 1925. He lost his bid for re-election on November 5, 1929, with Charles Roesch elected mayor. Schwab returned to active management of Mohawk Products Company. He died on April 23, 1946, and was buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the City of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, serving 1922–1929. He was born on Smith Street on the Buffalo's East Side on August 14, 1874. At 19, he became a foreman at the Pullman Palace Car Company, then known as the Wagner Palace Car Company, and took a job as a traveling salesman for the company. He then became a brewery solicitor, eventually becoming the highest paid brewery solicitor in Buffalo. He married Theresa M. Lauser on September 24, 1901. He opened a wholesale and retail liquor store at Broadway and Jefferson Avenue in 1912. He became president and general manager of the Mohawk Products Company; the merged Buffalo Brewing Company and the Cooperative Brewing Company formed during Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
to make near-beer
Low-alcohol beer
Low-alcohol beer is beer with very low or no alcohol content...
.
Schwab's rise in the Buffalo brewing industry was short lived because of the enactment of prohibition in 1919. Even though Schwab transitioned into the production of near beer he would take the opportunity to speak out against the Volstead Act whenever possible. "By this time, Frank Schwab had developed a personal style that delighted his friends and infuriated his enemies". The Buffalo Brewing company, Schwab's brewery, was raided by Federal agents who found illegal beer resulting in an indictment for Schwab. Schwab was an unlikely candidate for mayor.He had no political experience, he was Catholic, and under federal indictment for illegal possession of alcohol. But in 1921, as a joke the Knights of St. John circulated a petition on behalf of Schwab for his mayoral candidacy.
He was elected Mayor on November 8, 1921, as the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate. During his term, in the summer of 1922, the last and most bitter street railway strike occurred; Schwab declared a transportation emergency and authorized the running of buses. Finally, the International Railway Company went open shop
Open shop
An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of hiring or continued employment...
and the union was broken. In 1923–1924, the city purchased land for an airfield and, on September 27, 1926, Mayor Schwab laid the cornerstone of the administration building for the Buffalo Airport
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Buffalo Niagara International Airport is an airport located in Cheektowaga CDP, Town of Cheektowaga, in Erie County, New York, USA. It is named after the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The airport serves Buffalo, New York as well as Southern Ontario, Canada...
. Schwab was easily re-elected to a second term on November 4, 1925. He lost his bid for re-election on November 5, 1929, with Charles Roesch elected mayor. Schwab returned to active management of Mohawk Products Company. He died on April 23, 1946, and was buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.