Research


Administrative History

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.