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 – 17972 Joshua Sands nominated April 26, confirmed May 19, 1797 – 18013 David Gelston app. July 9, 1801 – December 18204 Jonathan Thompson app. November 1820 – 18295 Samuel Swartwout rec. app. April 25, took office May 1, 1829, nominated January 13, confirmed March 29, 1830 – 18386 Jesse Hoyt 1838 – February 27, 18417 John J. Morgan February – March 18418 Edward Curtis March 23, 1841 – 1844Charles G. Ferris nominated by Tyler, 1844 rejected by the U.S. Senate9 Cornelius P. Van Ness 1844–184510 Cornelius Van Wyck Lawrence 1845–184911 Hugh Maxwell 1849–1853Daniel S. Dickinson nominated 1853 by Pierce, but declined12 Greene C. Bronson 185313 Heman J. Redfield Nov 1, 1853 – July 1, 1857 resigned14 Augustus Schell 1857–186115 Hiram Barney 1861–186416 Simeon Draper 1864–1865 (11 months)17 Preston King app. August 12 – Nov 1865 (suicide)Charles P. Clinch, acting Nov 1865 – May 186618 Henry A. Smyth app. May 10, 1866 – 186919 Moses H. Grinnell app. March 20, 1869 – 187020 Thomas Murphy app. July 13, 1870 – 187121 Chester A. Arthur app. December 1, 1871 – July 11, 1878Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. was nominated December 1877, and rejected by the U.S. Senate22 Edwin A. Merritt 1878–188123 William H. Robertson nominated March 24, confirmed May 18, 1881 – 188524 Edward L. Hedden 1885–188625 Daniel Magone 1886–188926 Joel Erhardt 1889 – Aug 1, 189127 Jacob Sloat Fassett August 1 – Sept 189128 Francis Hendricks sworn in September 28, 1891 – 189329 James T. Kilbreth July 29, 1893 – June 23, 1897 (died in office)30 George R. Bidwell July 14, 1897 – April 3, 190231 Nevada Stranahan April 3, 1902 – July 1907 went abroad, then resigned due to ill healthHenry C. Stuart Acting while Stranahan was abroad July – December 190732 Edward S. Fowler nominated December 4, 1907 – 190933 William Loeb, Jr. March 9, 1909 – 191334 John Purroy Mitchel (elected Mayor of New York City) nominated May, confirmed June 7, 1913–October 8, 191335 Dudley Field Malone Nominated on November 10, 1913 – 191736 Byron R. Newton confirmed September 30, 1917 – 192137 George W. Aldridge nominated and confirmed April 19, 1921 – June 13, 1922 (died in office)Henry C. Stuart Acting June 13, 1922 – 192338 Philip Elting 1923–193339 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 Procedure40 Robert Wharton Dill August 5, 1953 – 196141 Joseph P. Kelly July 1961 – June 1966A 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.
