30, 1842; son of Timothy O’Brien and Elizabeth (Lauder) O’Brien. His
early education was procured in the public schools of Michigan, and he
then entered the law department of the University of Michigan, from
which he was graduated as LL. B. in 1865. He then engaged in the
practice of law with success, becoming assistant general counsel for the
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway in 1871 and its general counsel in
1883, and continuing in that capacity until 1905 when he was appointed
envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States to
Denmark, in which position he continued until May 18, 1907, when he was
appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Japan. Mr.
O’Brien is a Republican; in 1883 he was the candidate of his party for
Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan. He was a
delegate-at-large to the National Convention at St. Louis in 1896 which
nominated McKinley, and was again a delegate-at-large and chairman of
his delegation to the Chicago Convention of 1904 which nominated
Roosevelt. Mr. O’Brien married September 4, 1873, Delia Howard, and they
have their home at Grand Rapids, Michigan. Address: American Embassy,
Tokyo, Japan.
* * * * *
O’MEARA, JOHN B., was born in 1850 in St. Louis, was graduated A. B. in
the Jesuit College (St. Louis University); worked as bank clerk, stock
and bond broker and finally contractor. He married in 1874 Sallie Helm
Ford (now deceased), granddaughter of Governor Helm of Kentucky, and
grandniece of Brigadier-General Hardin Helm, late C. S. A., the latter
being married to a Miss Todd, sister of the wife of the ever lamented
Abraham Lincoln. He is secretary of the Hill-O’Meara Construction
Company, and although offered minor political offices many times he
declined to serve until 1894, when he was elected Lieutenant-Governor of
Missouri on the Democratic ticket. He takes a very great interest in the
National Guard, having been connected with it since 1872 and is now
Paymaster General of the Missouri troops. Among the soldiers who
surrendered at Limerick with Sarsfield, was an ancestor, Patrick
O’Meara, who became a colonel of the Irish Brigade or more correctly
speaking the “Legion Irlandais de France.” He afterward married a lady
of a distinguished house of France, and reared a family, two sons of
which, Jean Baptiste and Daniel, followed the footsteps of their father.
When they became able to bear arms they also entered the “Legion,” one
of them becoming “Lieutenant en premier” in Walsh’s Regiment, the other
“Lieutenant en second” in Dillon’s Regiment of that corps. When
Washington made his earnest and final appeal to Louis for more troops,
the French king sent some twenty thousand picked men, with a splendid
fleet under Count d’Estaing, and among these troops came Dillon’s and
Walsh’s Regiments, bringing Jean Baptiste and Daniel O’Meara, John B’s
grandfather and granduncle. The French ships engaged the British fleet
off Savannah, Georgia, and although it was a drawn battle, owing to a
severe storm, they bottled up the British fleet in Savannah, and
prevented them from carrying out their plan to come to the assistance of
Cornwallis. Meantime d’Estaing moved some of his ships lower down the
coast, disembarked several regiments including Dillon’s and Walsh’s,
which marched overland and happily met the retreating forces of
Lafayette who were being pursued by a portion of the British force from
Yorktown. Lafayette now being reinforced turned on his enemies, and
drove them back to Yorktown where coöperating with Washington soon
forced Cornwallis to surrender. When d’Estaing and his fleet, shortly
after, sailed back to France, his grandfather and uncle being Frenchmen,
went back with them. The revolution soon broke out, and his folks being
Royalists and hating the sans culottes and proletariats, stood with the
Legion which suffered terribly defending the King, until overpowered by
numbers. His grandfather, disgusted with affairs in France, went back to
the land of his forbears and settled in a little town called Athey,
County of Kildare, the birthplace of the Duke of Wellington. There his
grandfather married and there his father, Patrick, was born. He came to
this country in 1832 and after living in New Orleans and in Boston
settled and brought up his family, one of whom, a sister, Madame
O’Meara, was superior of the Sacred Heart Order in New York City and is
now superior of that order in New Orleans, Louisiana. The facts of the
revolutionary story as above are in “United States Senate Document No.
77” entitled “Combattants Francais es dans Le Guerre Americain—1777–83.”
* * * * *
O’SHAUGHNESSY, JAMES, 2252 Giddings street, Chicago, son of James
O’Shaughnessy of Gort and Catherine, née Mulholland; was born in St.
Catherine, Mo., and educated in the parochial schools; took up the
profession of teaching and then the study of law, which he abandoned to
enter newspaper work. He was editor and publisher of the Catholic
Tribune, St. Joseph, Mo., and afterwards engaged as reporter,
correspondent and editor of daily papers in St. Joseph, Mo., Chicago and
New York, and as syndicate correspondent in Europe in 1894 when he was a
member of the International Jury of Awards of the Antwerp Exposition.
Served as correspondent in Cuba for the Chicago Chronicle during the
Spanish-American war and in the later Indian troubles in the Northwest.
Political editor of the Chicago American until he abandoned editorial
work to enter the field of advertising as writer and counsellor. Former
president of Western Catholic Writers’ Guild, and Irish Fellowship Club
of Chicago. He married Miss Mary Hynes, of the Hynes family of Galway.
* * * * *
OLCOTT, CHAUNCEY, has never appeared in a play that was not clean and
wholesome, or that contained a line, or an episode that was vulgar or
even suggestive. Mr. Olcott is of Irish descent, and was born in the
city of Buffalo. He was educated at the Brothers schools, from which he
graduated with high honors. He was gifted by nature with an unusually
sweet tenor voice, and at an early age started his professional career
as a ballad singer in traveling minstrel days. During these years he won
his first public recognition by his wonderful singing of favorite
ballads. He then went to England for a short time, where his voice won
praise for its sweetness and purity. During his sojourn in England he
devoted his spare time to study. On his return he went to San Francisco
and in connection with his appearances on the stage assumed the
management of the Standard Theatre in that city. His next step was to
desert minstrelsy and join Denman Thompson in “The Old Homestead.” After
this he became the tenor of the Duff Opera Company and the McCaull Opera
Company. At this period he determined to go to London, secure an
engagement if possible and thoroughly cultivate his voice under the
tuition of some good master. During Mr. Olcott’s stay in London he
played for one year at the Lyric Theatre and one year at the Prince of
Wales Theatre. He returned to America under engagement to his present
manager, Mr. Augustus Pitou, to star in Irish singing light comedy
rôles, making his first appearance in Mavourneen in November, 1893, at
Yonkers, New York. That was sixteen years ago. During these years Mr.
Olcott has produced eleven plays and written more popular songs than any
other song writer of the day. On September 28, 1897, Mr. Olcott was
married to Margaret O’Donovan, of San Francisco. The union has been a
most happy and ideal one. Mr. Olcott has won for himself both fame and
wealth, and what is better still, the admiration and respect of
thousands of personal friends.
* * * * *
PHELAN, JAMES DUVAL, ex-mayor of San Francisco; born San Francisco
April, 1861; sire James Phelan, a California Pioneer; A. B., St.
Ignatius College; Ph. N., Santa Clara College; studied law at the
University of California; unmarried; was lieutenant-colonel of the
California National Guard; Commissioner and Vice-President of the
World’s Columbian Commission; after the San Francisco disaster was
President of the Relief and Red Cross Funds (a corporation); was
designated by President Roosevelt’s proclamation to receive funds and
use the U. S. Mint as depository; was a member of the committee of fifty
and forty for relief and reconstruction; Chairman of the Charter
Association which gave the new Charter to San Francisco; President of
the Adornment Association, which procured the Burnham plans for the
city; President of the Art Association; President of the California
Branch of the American National Red Cross; President of the Native Sons’
Hall Association and Boys’ Club; member of the Society of California
Pioneers. Clubs: Metropolitan, Washington; Metropolitan, New York;
Pacific Union, Bohemian, University, Olympic. Director of the First
National Bank; Mayor of San Francisco from 1896 to 1902; received
complimentary vote for U. S. Senator in the California legislature in
1900; President of the Mutual Savings Bank. Office in the Phelan
Building, San Francisco.
* * * * *
QUINN, PATRICK HENRY, born December 16, 1869, at Phenix Village, town of
Warwick, Rhode Island, son of Peter and Margaret (Callaghan) Quinn.
Father born in Armagh and mother in County Monaghan, Ireland. Was
educated in public schools of Warwick, admitted to practice at Rhode
Island bar in August, 1895, and in United States courts in January,
1897. Has practiced in Providence ever since; was Probate Judge and Town
Solicitor of native town in 1899–1900, and again in 1905–1906. Was
senior aide on personal staff of Governor L. F. C. Garvin.
* * * * *
HON. ELMER J. RATHBUN, A. B., LL. B., Justice of the Superior Court of
the State of Rhode Island, was born in Coventry, R. I., April 16, 1870.
He graduated from the East Greenwich Academy in the class of 1892, from
Brown University in the class of 1896, and from the Boston University
School of Law in the class of 1898, from the last institution with the
highest honors. He was elected Justice of the Fourth Judicial District
Court on November 8, 1900, and served until January 22, 1909, when he
was elected Justice of the Superior Court of the State of Rhode Island.
He was elected a member of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode
Island from the town of West Greenwich May, 1897, and at the time of his
election to the position of Justice of the Superior Court was the senior
member of the lower branch in continuous service, having been elected
representative twelve consecutive times, and was, for several years,
chairman of the House Committee on Corporations. Judge Rathbun is the
son of James and Melissa Rathbun.
* * * * *
RIGNEY, JOSEPH, was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 11, 1847, being the
seventh in a family of eleven children of Hugh and Margaret Rigney. The
name “Rigney” is that of a French Huguenot who came with William to
Ireland and who was credited with the distinction of doing more than the
average of his fellows in destroying the good Irishmen who upheld the
cause of Shamus (Na Hocha) at the bloody battle of Auchram. He had the
award usually given his kind—a gift of the plunder of the vanquished.
Many generations of Rigneys lived more or less respected in King’s
County, where all traces of the Huguenot’s religion disappeared from
amongst them. The writer accompanied his father and mother, two brothers
and two sisters, from Ireland to this country in October, 1868, to join
four brothers who emigrated from Ireland five years before. His family
settled in Bridgeport, Conn., November, 1868, where he lived until July,
1878, working part of the time as a machinist and later as mechanical
engineer and superintendent of the Pacific Iron Works of that city. In
1878 he went to Havana, Cuba, where he engaged in engineering and later
on in sugar manufacturing. His partners in the ownership of a sugar
plantation were Franklin Farrel of Ansonia, Conn., and the late Hugh
Kelly of New York. He greatly prizes his associations with these good
men and mourns the loss of the best of friends in the untimely end of
Hugh Kelly. At present he is associated with the engineering firms of
“The Dyer Company” and Allis-Chalmers Company, with office at 71
Broadway, New York. He is a member of the Catholic Club and the Friendly
Sons of St. Patrick of New York City. He married in 1878 and has been
supremely happy ever since.
* * * * *
RIORDAN, CHARLES F., was born in North Easton, Mass., the first day of
April (Easter Sunday) in the year 1866, to John S. and Catherine M.
Riordan, both of the best type of Irish people. Has been for many years
the New England representative of several large distilleries. During an
active business life in Boston has taken a prominent part in politics
but has never accepted public office. Is very popular in his native
State and many large banquets attended by leading citizens have been
tendered him at various times.
* * * * *
ROSSITER, WILLIAM S., publisher, Concord, N. H., was born in Westfield,
Mass., September 9, 1861. Educated Columbian University (now George
Washington University), Washington, D. C., and Amherst College (Class
1884). Assistant to business superintendent, New York Tribune,
1884–1888; manager circulation, New York Press, 1889; treasurer New York
Printing Company, The Republic Press, 1889–1899; in charge publications,
U. S. Census, 1900–1903; chief clerk U. S. Census Office, 1903–1909;
expert special agent, U. S. Census, for printing and publishing, 12th
Census (1900) and Industrial Census, 1905; in editorial charge of all
12th Census Reports; selected by the President upon the recommendation
of the Printing Commission of Congress to take charge of the Government
Printing Office upon the suspension of Public Printer Stillings and
prepare a complete report upon conditions in that office. Twenty-eight
days later an exhaustive report was submitted to the President, and upon
its findings, he at once requested the Public Printer’s resignation.
Author of the Census Reports upon Printing and Publishing, 1900 and
1905, A Century of Population Growth in the United States (U. S. Census
office 1909), and many statistical and historical papers in the Atlantic
Monthly, North American Review, Review of Reviews, Outlook, World’s
Work, the Printing Art, etc.
* * * * *
SEYMOUR, JOHN F., 52 Pierce Street, San Francisco, Cal., born in New
York of Irish parents and in 1863 removed to California; in 1872 he
started as an apprentice in a brass foundry, learning the trade of brass
finisher, and worked at this trade until 1884, when he joined the San
Francisco police department as patrolman. He was successively appointed
Corporal, Detective Sergeant and Captain of Police, and in April, 1900,
Captain of Detectives; served in this capacity about two years, during
which time he earned distinction by his strict attention to duty and
ability which he displayed in handling criminal cases of national note;
in January 1902, he resigned from the police force to take a responsible
position with the vast Fair estate; recently he was appointed Chief
Special Agent of the Pacific Department of the Wells Fargo Express
Company, which position he holds at the present time.
* * * * *
SHANAHAN, DAVID E., Representative in the General Assembly from the
Ninth (Ill.) district, was born on a farm in Lee County, Illinois,
September 7, 1862, and from the time he was three months old has resided
in Chicago. He received his education in the public schools, and
graduated successively from the Holden grammar school, South Division
high school and the Chicago law college. For the past twenty-five years
he has been an active and potential factor in City, County and State
politics. In 1885 he was elected South Town supervisor and the year
following was re-elected to this position. He is best known by his long
and valued service as a legislator. His first election to the House of
Representatives occurred in 1894, and he was re-elected in 1896, 1898,
1900, 1902, 1904, 1906 and 1908. As a member of the Lower House of the
lawmaking body of Illinois, Mr. Shanahan has been closely identified
with the best legislation of recent years and has served as a member of
every important committee. He was elected temporary Speaker in the
Forty-Third General Assembly and was chairman of the Republican steering
committee. In the Forty-Fifth and Forty-Sixth General Assemblies he was
chairman of the committee on appropriations. He has served as a delegate
to many of the City, County and State Republican conventions, was an
alternate delegate to the Republican National convention of 1904 from
the Fourth Congressional district, and in 1908 was elected a delegate to
the Republican national convention held in Chicago. He is a member of
the Knights of Pythias and the Royal Arcanum, and is engaged in the real
estate and insurance business at 185 Dearborn street.
* * * * *
SHEEDY, BRYAN DEFOREST, graduate of the N. Y. U. Medical College, LL. B.
Yale, Adjunct Professor Rhinology and Laryngology Fordham University
School of Medicine, Instructor of Disease Nose and Throat N. Y.
Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital, member of American Medical
Association, member of State and County Medical Societies of the State
of New York, etc., etc., 164 West 73d street, New York City.
* * * * *
SMITH, JAMES E., was born in Rhode Island, graduated from Brown
University in 1892, admitted to the New York Bar in 1894, member of the
New York State Legislature 1899–1902.
* * * * *
SULLIVAN, JEREMIAH B., was born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, January 1, 1859.
His father was born in the City of Cork, Ireland, and his mother the
city of Kanturk. Mr. Sullivan first attended Parochial school at Mt.
Pleasant, Iowa. He read law in the office of McDill & Sullivan at Afton,
Iowa, and admitted to the Bar of the State of Iowa in 1881 and has been
in the active practice since that time. Was City Solicitor of the City
of Creston one term and elected on the Democratic ticket. Was a member
of the Board of Education of that city two terms; was a Democratic
candidate for Governor of the State of Iowa in 1903. Is now a resident
of Des Moines, Iowa, and President of the Board of Education of that
city. Is engaged actively in the practice of law; is interested in all
Irish matters, having been State President of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians for the State of Iowa. Was delegate-at-large from Iowa to the
Democratic National Convention at Denver in 1908; is interested in
educational matters. Belongs to the Ancient Order of Hibernians and
Knights of Columbus and did his part in the promotion and advancement of
these organizations; is interested in political matters and civic
affairs and has at all times taken part in the public discussion of the
topics in which the people are interested.
* * * * *
TULLY, MICHAEL P., was born near the historic village of Ballinamuck,
County Longford, Ireland, October 15, 1836; arrived in New York in 1858,
and after a few years in that city took up his residence in Newton, N.
J., where he has lived continuously ever since. Was married in
September, 1873, and is a life member of the Newton County Historical
Society, trustee of the Dennis Library Association, member of the
Catholic Club, and a director of the Merchants’ National Bank of Newton.
ADDITIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
The following sketches of new members were received too late to
incorporate in their proper alphabetical order.
CHANDLER, WILLIAM E., was born in Concord, New Hampshire, December 28,
1835, second son of Nathan S. and Mary Ann Chandler. He was educated in
the public schools and the academies at Thetford, Vermont, and Pembroke,
New Hampshire. He began his law studies in Concord and attended the
Harvard Law school, being graduated with prize honors in 1855. In the
same year he was admitted to the bar and for several years practised in
Concord. In 1859 he was appointed law reporter of the New Hampshire
Supreme Court and published five volumes of Reports. Mr. Chandler was a
Republican from the formation of the party, was the secretary of its
first state committee and in 1864 and 1865, its chairman. He was elected
to the legislature in 1862–3–4 and was twice chosen speaker. In
November, 1864, he was employed by the Navy Department to prosecute the
Philadelphia Navy Yard frauds and on March 9, 1865, was appointed the
first Solicitor and Judge Advocate General of that Department. On June
17 of the same year he became assistant secretary of the treasury,
resigning the position November 30, 1867. The next 13 years he devoted
to his profession, except that he was a member of the state
constitutional convention of 1876, a delegate to the Republican national
convention in 1868 and secretary of the national committee from that
time until 1876. In that year he was one of the counsel for the Hayes
electors in Florida before the canvassing board of the state and the
electoral commission in Washington. In 1880 he was a delegate to the
Republican national convention, and a member of the national committee
during the subsequent campaign. On March 23, 1881, he was nominated by
President Garfield for Solicitor General, but was refused confirmation
by the Senate, the vote being nearly upon party lines. In June of that
year he was a prominent member of the New Hampshire Legislature. He
served as Secretary of the Navy from April 7, 1882, to March 7, 1885,
and is known and honored as “the father of the new navy.” He was elected
to the United States Senate June 14, 1887, and served by re-elections
until March 3, 1901. He was then appointed a member of the Spanish
Treaty Claims commission and served until 1907, when he resigned. Since
that date his time has been employed in the practice of his profession,
his name being connected with several important cases. Through all his
long, active and distinguished career he has been a prolific contributor
to newspapers and periodicals, his style being remarkable for its vigor,
force and clearness.
* * * * *
CORCORAN, RICHARD B., veterinarian, United States Army; Knight of
Columbus; first vice-president of the Knights of St. Patrick, San
Francisco; was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland, in December,
1844; is the son of Patrick Corcoran, mayor of that old borough and one
of the oldest members of the reformed corporations in Ireland. His uncle
was Rev. John Baldwin, parish priest of St. Mary’s, Clonmel. Doctor
Corcoran was educated at St. Patrick’s College, Carlow, Ireland; came to
New York in 1867, and resided there until his appointment as
veterinarian, United States Army, in 1877. He has served in all Indian
campaigns of note; on the frontier since that time, and was also in
Cuba, being the first of his profession to land on that island. His
record in the War Department is equalled by none in his branch of the
service. Doctor Corcoran has been stationed at the Presidio of San
Francisco for more than eight years, and takes a deep and active
interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his race and native
land.
MEMBERSHIP ROLL
OF THE
AMERICAN IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
ADAMS, HON. SAMUEL, 129 West 85th Street, New York City.
ADAMS, T. ALBEUS, 525 West Street, New York City.
ALEXANDER, HON. CHARLES, 63 Dyer Street, Providence, R. I.
(Vice-President of the Society for Rhode Island.)
ASPELL, JOHN, M. D., 139 West Seventy-seventh Street, New York City.
BAGSHAWE, MRS. THEODOSIA E., 4002 Lake Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
BANNIN, MICHAEL E., 83 and 85 Worth Street, New York City.
BANNON, HENRY G., 107 East Fifty-fifth Street, New York City.
BARRETT, MICHAEL F., 308 Spring Street and 574 Hudson Street, New York
City.
BARRY, HON. PATRICK T., 87–89 South Jefferson Street, Chicago, Ill.
(Life member of the Society.)
BARRY, MAJOR-GENERAL THOMAS H., Washington, D. C.
BARRY, WILLIAM F., 249 Magnolia Avenue, Elizabeth, N. J.
BARRY, WILLIAM J., Barristers’ Hall, Boston, Mass.
BARRY, JAMES H., 1122 Mission Street, San Francisco, Cal.
BAYNE, PROF. WILLIAM, 53 Third Avenue, New York City.
BEALIN, JOHN J., 2334 Valentine Avenue, New York City.
BERGIN, PATRICK J., 169 Blackstone Street, Boston, Mass.
BLAKE, MICHAEL, 149 Broadway, New York City.
BLAKE, THOMAS M., 11 St. Luke’s Place, New York City.
BLISS, HON. ZENAS W., Providence, R. I.
BODFISH, REV. JOSHUA P. L., 60 Robinwood Avenue, Jamaica Plain, Mass.
BOLAND, W. I., Toronto, Canada.
BOUCHER, RICHARD P., M. D., 116 Academy Avenue, Providence, R. I.