La Guardia, Fiorello Henry, << luh GWAHR dee uh, `fee` uh REHL oh HEHN ree >> (1882-1947), gained national fame as the mayor of New York City from 1934 to 1945. A liberal Republican, La Guardia became known as a progressive reformer who was sensitive to the needs of ordinary citizens. As mayor, he cooperated with Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s economic recovery program, known as the New Deal. La Guardia’s urban reform programs included slum clearance; school, park, and street development; and airport construction.
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La Guardia was born in New York City on Dec. 11, 1882. He graduated from the New York University Law School in 1910. La Guardia served in the United States House of Representatives from 1917 to 1921 and 1923 to 1932. In Congress, he co-sponsored the Norris-La Guardia Act of 1932, which protected the rights of striking workers (see Norris-La Guardia Act ). La Guardia died on Sept. 20, 1947.
