Corning joined the United States Navy for World War II.[2] He enlisted in 1942, and received a commission as an ensign.[2] Corning participated in combat in the Pacific theater, and attained the rank of lieutenant before receiving his discharge in 1946.[2] In January 1946, Corning's name appeared among a list of Navy officers who were passengers aboard USS LST 589 when it sailed from Qingdao to Shanghai.[3]
Corning as a Navy ensign in 1942
After the war, Corning returned to Albany, where he became active in the Albany Associates insurance agency, a Corning family business.[2] He became vice president of the company, in addition to serving on its board of directors.[2] He also served as a director of several other companies, including the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation and Albany's First Trust Company.[2]
A Democrat, in 1954, Corning was the successful nominee to represent Albany County's first district in the New York State Assembly.[2] He was reelected in 1956 and 1958, and served from January 1955 until resigning in August 1959.[2]
In May, 1959, Corning was involved in a car accident on U.S. Route 9 near Boght Corners.[4] He sustained severe injuries and was hospitalized for several months.[5][6] Citing the amount of time he needed to devote to his recovery, Corning resigned his Assembly seat in order to give officials the opportunity to hold a special election prior to the start of the next session in January 1960, thus ensuring that his district would continue to be represented.[7]
Death and burial
After his car accident, Corning curtailed most of his business and political activities, and was a resident of Clarksville.[2] He died at his home in Clarksville on January 31, 1964, and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, New York.[2]
Family
In 1950, Corning married Barbara May Thomson (1923-2012).[8] They were the parents of two children, daughter Jamie and son Edwin.[2]
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