Herbert Henry Lehman (1878-1963), American banker and statesman, was a distinguished and productive governor of New York.

Herbert H. Lehman was born in New York City on March 8, 1878, the eighth child of a prosperous Jewish businessman. Following his graduation from Williams College in 1899, he entered the business world, acquiring a considerable fortune as a textile executive and, later, as a member of the banking house of Lehman Brothers. He was a staunch Democrat and attended a Democratic state convention as early as 1910. Lehman managed New York Governor Alfred E. Smith's campaign for reelection in 1926. In 1928 he was finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee and an ardent supporter of Smith for the presidency. Also in 1928 he accepted the nomination for lieutenant governor on Franklin Roosevelt's gubernatorial ticket. Though Smith was defeated, Roosevelt and Lehman were elected--Lehman by a very narrow margin.

Lehman was reelected lieutenant governor in 1930. In...