The Roaring Twenties: The Life and Times of Frank X. Schwab Mayor of Buffalo, New York

by Margaret Schwab

A new era of change had erupted on the American landscape, as World War I and the nasty flu pandemic of 1918 subsided.

In Buffalo, N.Y., an east-side beer brewer entered the political arena. Popular among the working class, but derided by the elite “high hats” of society, this dark horse candidate was elected mayor of the city. Once inaugurated, Mayor Frank X. Schwab immediately initiated an open-door policy for all visitors to his office and home. He reached out to the downtrodden who came to his office for help. Also, the famous stopped by his office for a chat and a souvenir key to the city.

The Ku Klux Klan targeted the first Catholic mayor of Buffalo. In so doing, the Klan met their match.

Mayor Schwab left behind a legacy full of reforms and accomplishments. Most of all, Frank X. Schwab became best known as the champion of the “plain people” of Buffalo.

155 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2023

About the author

Margaret Schwab received a Master's degree in American history from SUNY at Buffalo, a Master's degree in Asian studies from New York University and is a former Social Studies teacher. Travel, as a graduate student and tourist, included Afghanistan, India and Southeast Asia. Experiences in Kabul, as well as her family's Buffalo neighborhood, served as the launching pad for this, her first, novel.