1859-1934
District Attorney, Civic Reformer

Background.

William Travers Jerome, New York's district attorney for much of the decade, was born in New York City. After attending a private preparatory school in Switzerland, he studied at Amherst College for three years before moving on to Columbia Law School, where he received his law degree in 1884. Three years after being admitted to the bar in New York, he was appointed an assistant district attorney. An appointment like this insured a steady income, but it depended on party loyalty: a political appointee had to be absolutely loyal to the party organization that appointed him. In this case, Jerome owed his position to the Democrats, and in return he was expected to be loyal to their organization, known as Tammany Hall. But in 1890 he joined the People's Municipal League, a reform organization, and returned to private practice.

Reformer.

Jerome...