Michael Francis Farley

Michael Francis Farley (March 1, 1863 – October 8, 1921) was an Irish-American businessman and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1915 to 1917. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history marked by the First World War and intense national debate over the country’s role in international affairs, during which he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his New York constituents.

Farley was born in Birr, County Offaly, Ireland, on March 1, 1863. He immigrated to the United States in 1881, settling first in Brooklyn and later in New York City. Like many Irish immigrants of his generation, he arrived in a rapidly growing urban environment where political life and small business enterprise were closely intertwined, and he soon established himself within the commercial and civic fabric of the city.

In New York City, Farley became the owner and operator of a tavern on West 22nd Street in Manhattan. Through this business he gained prominence in the local liquor trade and rose to leadership positions within industry organizations. He served as president of the Wine and Liquor Dealers Association of New York County and of Manhattan’s Central Association of Liquor Dealers, roles that placed him at the center of debates over regulation of the liquor industry in the years leading up to national Prohibition. His prominence as a businessman and association leader helped launch his political career within the Democratic Party.

Farley was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-fourth Congress and served as a U.S. Representative from New York from March 4, 1915, to March 3, 1917. During his single term in the House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process at a time when the United States was grappling with issues of neutrality, national security, and economic policy in the shadow of World War I. As a member of the Democratic Party representing New York, he participated in the democratic process and sought to advance the interests and concerns of his urban constituency.

During his congressional service, Farley became a notable proponent of the 1916 Gore–McLemore resolution, introduced after the German Empire announced it would sink armed enemy merchant ships without warning. The resolution was intended to reduce the risk of the United States being drawn into World War I by asking American citizens not to travel on the armed vessels of any belligerent nation and by requesting that the Secretary of State refuse to issue passports to Americans intending to travel on such ships. President Woodrow Wilson opposed the measure, arguing that such travel restrictions would infringe upon the rights of individual Americans. The resolution was ultimately tabled in both the House and the Senate, but Farley’s support for it reflected the strong current of non-interventionist sentiment among many Americans at the time.

Farley sought reelection in 1916 but was defeated by Fiorello H. La Guardia, who would later become a prominent New York political figure and mayor of New York City. After leaving Congress at the conclusion of his term in March 1917, Farley returned to private life in New York, resuming his business and civic activities in the city where he had long been established.

On October 8, 1921, Farley died in New York as the result of exposure to anthrax contracted from his shaving brush. After becoming ill, he sought treatment at a hospital and received anti-anthrax serum, but the treatment was unsuccessful. His death drew public attention to an ongoing campaign by New York public health officials to prevent the importation of infected hides and animal-hair products, including shaving brushes and toothbrushes, which were linked to a series of anthrax cases and caused 11 deaths in the New York area. Michael Francis Farley was interred at Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York.