The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, sometimes also as Collector of Customs for the Port of New York or (erroneously) Collector of Customs for the District of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at the Port of New York.
The most well-known individual to hold the position was Chester A. Arthur, who served as collector from 1871-1878 and who later served as the 21st President of the United States.
The first Collector, John Lamb, was appointed by the Congress of the Confederation in 1784. Afterwards, the Collectors were appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The office was described as "the prize plum of Federal patronage not only in this State but perhaps in the country, outside of positions in the Cabinet." The annual salary in 1920 was $12,000 plus about $8,000 in fees. The position was abolished in 1966, with the last Collector, Joseph P. Kelly, kept on as a consultant some time after.
1 John Lamb app. March 22, 1784 – 1797
2 Joshua Sands nominated April 26, confirmed May 19, 1797 – 1801
3 David Gelston app. July 9, 1801 – December 1820
4 Jonathan Thompson app. November 1820 – 1829
5 Samuel Swartwout rec. app. April 25, took office May 1, 1829, nominated January 13, confirmed March 29, 1830 – 1838
6 Jesse Hoyt 1838 – February 27, 1841
7 John J. Morgan February – March 1841
8 Edward Curtis March 23, 1841 – 1844
Charles G. Ferris nominated by Tyler, 1844 rejected by the U.S. Senate
9 Cornelius P. Van Ness 1844–1845
10 Cornelius Van Wyck Lawrence 1845–1849
11 Hugh Maxwell 1849–1853
Daniel S. Dickinson nominated 1853 by Pierce, but declined
12 Greene C. Bronson 1853
13 Heman J. Redfield Nov 1, 1853 – July 1, 1857 resigned
14 Augustus Schell 1857–1861
15 Hiram Barney 1861–1864
16 Simeon Draper 1864–1865 (11 months)
17 Preston King app. August 12 – Nov 1865 (suicide)
Charles P. Clinch, acting Nov 1865 – May 1866
18 Henry A. Smyth app. May 10, 1866 – 1869
19 Moses H. Grinnell app. March 20, 1869 – 1870
20 Thomas Murphy app. July 13, 1870 – 1871
21 Chester A. Arthur app. December 1, 1871 – July 11, 1878
Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. was nominated December 1877, and rejected by the U.S. Senate
22 Edwin A. Merritt 1878–1881
23 William H. Robertson nominated March 24, confirmed May 18, 1881 – 1885
24 Edward L. Hedden 1885–1886
25 Daniel Magone 1886–1889
26 Joel Erhardt 1889 – Aug 1, 1891
27 Jacob Sloat Fassett August 1 – Sept 1891
28 Francis Hendricks sworn in September 28, 1891 – 1893
29 James T. Kilbreth July 29, 1893 – June 23, 1897 (died in office)
30 George R. Bidwell July 14, 1897 – April 3, 1902
31 Nevada Stranahan April 3, 1902 – July 1907 went abroad, then resigned due to ill health
Henry C. Stuart Acting while Stranahan was abroad July – December 1907
32 Edward S. Fowler nominated December 4, 1907 – 1909
33 William Loeb, Jr. March 9, 1909 – 1913
34 John Purroy Mitchel (elected Mayor of New York City) nominated May, confirmed June 7, 1913–October 8, 1913
35 Dudley Field Malone Nominated on November 10, 1913 – 1917
36 Byron R. Newton confirmed September 30, 1917 – 1921
37 George W. Aldridge nominated and confirmed April 19, 1921 – June 13, 1922 (died in office)
Henry C. Stuart Acting June 13, 1922 – 1923
38 Philip Elting 1923–1933
39 Harry M. Durning 1933–1953 defendant in the case of Dioguardi v. Durning, 139 F.2d 774 (2d Cir. 1944), frequently used in Civil Procedure courses as a starting point to teach pleadings under the modern approach of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
40 Robert Wharton Dill August 5, 1953 – 1961
41 Joseph P. Kelly July 1961 – June 1966
A private act of the 58th Congress in March, 1904, indemnified James T. Kilbreth (posthumously), George R. Bidwell, and Nevada N. Stranahan as collectors of customs for the district and port of New York for the losses through embezzlement by Byram W. Winters, a customs service clerk. Stranahan received a refund in the sum of $8,821.44 from the federal government, having personally settled the entire amount of the fraud.
