Edwin F. Jaeckle (1895-1992)

             Edwin F. Jaeckle, after whom the Center is named, had a long and distinguished career in the practice of law, in politics, and in public service.

             Born in 1895, on Lemon Street in the "fruitbelt" section of Buffalo, Jaeckle was raised and educated in his home town, and resided here for all but the last few years of his long and productive life.  After graduating from the University of Buffalo Law School in 1915, Jaeckle began his professional career as a clerk in the law offices of Robert Schelling.  Upon Schelling's death in 1916, Jaeckle continued in practice with Schelling's partner, Edward J. Garona.  In 1921, they joined the firm of Palanis, Harah and Wichser, and in 1932 Jaeckle and Garona formed a new firm – Todd, Garona, and Jaeckle – with Carleton E. Todd, Joseph Swart, Charles J. Avich, and Harry Kelly.  That partnership joined with Manley and Adelbert Fleischmann and Owen Angsberger in 1959 to form the firm of Jaeckle, Fleischmann, Kelly, Swart and Angsberger, forerunner to the present firm of Jaeckle, Fleischmann, and Mugel.  Jaeckle retired from the active practice of law in 1989, but remained of counsel to his firm until his death. 

            Jaeckle first became interested in politics in 1917 when Leo J. Schmidt, a candidate for Republican State Committeeman and a friend of the family, urged him to run for Ward Supervisor.  By working the saloons he won the election.  This early victory ignited a lifelong passion for politics.  Although Jaeckle’s term was interrupted by military service in World War I, he was reelected in 1919, but Jaeckle left elective office in 1920 to take a series of part-time government positions including clerk of the Board of Supervisors, and tax collector in the County Treasurer's office, a position he held from 1928 to 1933, all the while continuing to practice law with his firm.  Jaeckle’s last run at elective office was an unsuccessful campaign for mayor in 1937. 

             It was not as a candidate on his own account, however, that Jaeckle made his greatest mark.  In 1926, Jaeckle was elected to the State Republican Committee, and in 1935 he was elected chairman of the Erie County Republican Committee, a position he held until 1948.  From his base in Western New York he rose to both statewide and national prominence.  

            Jaeckle was the first Republican leader in New York to promote Thomas E. Dewey as a candidate for Governor of New York.  Jaeckle's partnership with Dewey extended through four gubernatorial campaigns: an unsuccessful campaign in 1938, followed by successful campaigns in 1942, 1946, and 1950.  Jaeckle's success as Dewey's floor manager and campaign leader in the 1938 State Republican Convention helped propel Jaeckle to the Chairmanship of the New York GOP Executive Committee in 1938, and to the Chair of the New York GOP in 1940. 

            Jaeckle was the chief architect of Dewey's nomination as the GOP national standard-bearer in the 1944 Presidential election (a remarkable campaign in which the sitting Governor of New York ran against a former Governor).   After that campaign, Jaeckle resigned the New York State Republican Chairmanship but again took on the campaign leadership role in Dewey's second run for the Presidency in 1948.

            Jaeckle resigned from the Erie County GOP Chairmanship after the 1948 campaign, and soon thereafter left political life to devote himself to law practice and public and community service.  During his many years of active political life, Jaeckle was known as Erie County's “Mr. Republican,” an honorific he retained for the rest of his long life.

            Among the many charitable organizations and causes he supported, Jaeckle was particularly committed to higher education.  He was a Regent of Canisius College, a Trustee of the State University of New York, and a member of the University of Buffalo Council.  In the latter role, he was highly influential in the decision to merge UB into the State University of New York and in the decision to bring the Law School to Amherst as the first academic unit to relocate to the North Campus.

            Roswell Park Cancer Institute was another beneficiary of Jaeckle's efforts.  He was a major advocate to Governor Dewey regarding the transformation of the Gratwick Laboratory of the State Health Department, known since 1946 as the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, into a well funded state and then nationally designated Cancer Research Center.