New York's 'Mayor for Life'

Selle, Robert R., The World and I

Many seven-year-olds, asked what they want to be when they grow up, talk about becoming firefighters or policemen. Not so young Edward Irving Koch, who knew for sure at even that tender age that he wanted to be pacing a courtroom, hearing it resound with his arguments. He wanted to be a lawyer.

Nor did he waver from that desire. Not even the interposition of World War II swayed him. After two years at the City College of New York, from 1941 to1943, he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served with the 104th Infantry Division. He was awarded two battle stars for his frontline combat, achieved the rank of sergeant, and was honorably discharged in 1946 after serving in a denazification unit in Bavaria, running down former Nazis and their property. He then enrolled in New York University School of Law and, after earning his LL.B. degree in 1948, began practicing law.

The three-term New York City mayor (1978--89), born and raised in the Bronx, remains an attorney to this day--a partner in the Manhattan law firm of Robinson Silverman Pearce Aronsohn & Berman. In addition to his lawyering, however, he said in an interview with The World & I, he has eight other jobs, including some 25 speaking engagements a year around the country, writing a political column for Newsday, hosting two radio talk shows and one television show, lecturing at Baruch College, and writing movie and restaurant reviews for two newspapers.

He ascribes the enormous personal drive that sustained …

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Publication information: Article title: New York's 'Mayor for Life'. Contributors: Selle, Robert R. - Author. Magazine title: The World and I. Volume: 17. Issue: 1 Publication date: January 2002. Page number: 56. © 1999 News World Communications, Inc. COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group.

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