Herbert Lehman

A colleague once called Herbert Lehman "the conscience of America." Always a liberal, he fought as Roosevelt's "right arm" for the New Deal, was among the first to challenge the activities of Joseph McCarthy, and while in his eighties, brought some measure of reform to New York's Democratic party.

More important than his accomplishments as legislator or administrator was his role as critic of American complacency. Not content with the satisfactions of wealth, he devoted his life to public service. At an age when most men prefer retirement, Herbert Lehman welcomed the call to political action. His life will remain an admirable example of courage and devotion to principle.