Edwin Jaeckle

Who was Edwin Jaeckle?

Edwin Frederick Jaeckle was a Republican politician and party chairman in New York State during the 1930s. During his tenure as chairman, Jaeckle enforced strict adherence to party discipline, which significantly bolstered the party's standing in the state.

As chairman, Jaeckle exerted an outsized influence on the state's political landscape. In Charles Van Devander's 1944 book The Big Bosses, Jaeckle was portrayed as controlling the state legislature and helping shape and execute the party's platform. According to the book, the Albany Legislative Correspondents' Association included in its annual satirical show a song with the refrain: "You've gotta get Jaeckle's O.K."

Jaeckle also sometimes played kingmaker; for instance, he selected New York City District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey as the Republican candidate for the New York governorship. Dewey won the race and served three terms as governor; Jaeckle is credited with helping lift him onto the national stage. Dewey later lost two unsuccessful campaigns for the White House in the 1940s. Jaeckle was Dewey's campaign chairman during his first presidential run.