The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation recognizes the Honorable Peter Fox Cohalan for his contributions to the Historical Society of the New York Courts’ online County Legal History Project. The project documents the local legal history of all the counties in New York State, including the legal figures, cases, and events that helped shape each county’s past.
The project relies on volunteers to collect, write, and organize each county’s historic legal information. Judge Cohalan represented Suffolk County in this initiative by authoring an extensive piece on Suffolk’s legal origins. The histories of 20 of the 62 counties in New York State have been completed and are now available on the Historical Society of the New York Courts’ website.
Named Suffolk County Historian in 2012, Judge Cohalan has a long family heritage of community service. His public roles have included Islip Town Supervisor, Suffolk County Executive, and State Supreme Court Justice. A long legacy in the judiciary includes six Cohalans on the bench, five serving as State Supreme Court Justices.
“The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is delighted to recognize Judge Cohalan as a contributing author to this important research into Suffolk County’s history. Recognizing his career and distinguished efforts, the Foundation has created a scholarship in his name which annually offers $40,000 to a high school senior majoring in American studies. His piece on Suffolk’s judiciary speaks to the level of scholarship we hope the Honorable Peter Fox Cohalan Scholarship in American Studies will inspire,” said Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.
The Cohalan family story in America can claim arrival with General Lafayette in 1777 during the American Revolution. A Cohalan family member was a Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall, and yet another was the first Catholic priest on Long Island in 1839. Judge Cohalan joined the Board of Trustees of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation in 2014. Serving in that capacity, he oversees $5 million in awards annually for preservation and research focusing on Long Island and New York State’s role in American history.
“I want to thank Judge Albert M. Rosenblatt and Allison Morey of the Historical Society of New York Courts for the opportunity to undertake this project to document the rich history and significant contribution the Suffolk County legal community has made to New York State. The Historical Society of New York Courts performs a crucial role in helping us all remember those who have made New York State a leader in American legal and judicial history,” said Judge Cohalan.
