American legislator and statesman. In 1928, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of New York and succeeded Roosevelt as Governor in 1932, an office he held for ten years. When the depression started in 1929, Lehman’s liberal legislation in such fields as welfare and labor brought economic stability to the state. In 1949, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he opposed the McCarran-Walter immigration bill and supported sending arms to Israel. For more than half a century, his numerous philanthropic activities included interest in child welfare institutions, hospitals, and vocational schools. He was active in many Jewish organizations and causes.