A brilliant event under the patronage of the Society took place in New York City on April 26, 1906. The occasion was a reception to Admiral John McGowan, U. S. N., the newly-elected president-general. The exercises took place in the residence of the Hon. John D. Crimmins, and will long be remembered by the large assemblage participating. Admiral McGowan resides in Washington, D. C., and the reception was held in order to give him and the members of the Society an opportunity to exchange mutual greetings.
The reception was participated in by judges, prominent clergymen, distinguished members of the medical, law, journalistic and other professions, as well as by leading bankers and gentlemen prominent in mercantile life.
Admiral McGowan received in the magnificent drawing-room of Mr. Crimmins’ home, the introductions being made by Mr. Crimmins, who was assisted by Thomas Hamilton Murray of Boston, the national secretary of the Society.
The following is a copy of the notice sent to each member:
Dear Sir: It gives me great pleasure to notify you that a reception to Rear-Admiral John McGowan, U. S. N., President-General of our Society, will take place in New York City on Thursday evening, April 26, 1906, at 8 o’clock.
Owing to the kindness of our fellow member, the Hon. John D. Crimmins, the reception will be held at the home of the latter, 40 East 68th Street, and it is hoped that every member of the Society who possibly can will be present on this occasion.
Few events under the auspices of the organization will possess as much interest as this, and all who participate in the forthcoming reception to our President-General will find it a red-letter event in the history of the Society. Each member is at liberty to invite a friend to accompany him to the exercises.
Kindly inform the Secretary, upon receipt of this notice, whether you will attend the reception, as it is desirable to know, approximately, how many will be present.
Among those present from New York City, were: Hon. James Fitzgerald, a justice of the New York Supreme Court; Hon. Edward F. O’Dwyer, chief justice of the New York City court; Hon. Samuel Adams, Robert E. Danvers, M. E. Bannin, Richard Deeves, John J. Rooney, William F. Clare, M. J. Drummond, Cyril Crimmins, J. Henry Haggerty, Nathaniel Doyle, Col. James Quinlan, formerly of Meagher’s Irish Brigade; Sylvester J. O’Sullivan, James O’Flaherty, Robert T. Dyas, Edward J. McGuire, John W. Donovan, Dr. Hugh M. Cox, Henry Wright, Rev. Dr. Henry A. Brann, John A. Brann, John Jay Joyce, Willis B. Dowd, Rt. Rev. Mgr. Charles McCready, William J. Broderick, J. J. Hickey, W. E. Callahan, Charles V. Halley, J. H. Rohan, John J. Ryan, Thomas S. Lonergan, John O’Sullivan, Owen J. Brady, James J. Phelan, and other people of note.
Present from other places were: Rt. Rev. Mgr. William Byrne, D. D., V. G., Boston, Mass.; Rt. Rev. Arthur J. Teeling, D. D., Lynn, Mass.; Rev. Gerald P. Coghlan, Philadelphia, Pa.; Hon. P.T. Barry, Chicago, Ill.; Hon. Patrick Garvan, Hartford, Conn.; James L. O’Neill, Elizabeth, N. J.; Hon. Thomas Z. Lee, Providence, R. I.; Thomas A. O’Gorman, Providence; John F. O’Connell, Providence; Dr. J. F. Hayes, Waterbury, Conn.; P. F. Magrath, Binghamton, N. Y.; James J. Higgins, Elizabeth, N. J.; City Clerk Kenah, Elizabeth; Hon. P. J. Ryan, Elizabeth; John Moriarty, Waterbury, Conn.; Prof. J. E. Madigan, Waterbury; Philip A. Curran, Waterbury; William M. Sweeny, Astoria, L. I., N. Y., a son of the late Gen. Thomas W. Sweeny; Dr. A. J. Anderson, Astoria, L. I., N. Y.; Fire Commissioner Cox, Elizabeth, N. J.; Dr. John D. Hanrahan, Rutland, Vt.; William P. Connery, Lynn, Mass., and a number of others.
Letters expressing interest in the occasion, and regretting inability to be present, were received from Hon. Joseph T. Lawless, Norfolk, Va.; Hon. Thomas H. Carter, Washington, D. C.; Hon. Andrew C. Smith, M. D., Portland, Ore.; Hon. Patrick Egan, New York City; Hon. Edward A. Moseley, Washington, D. C.; Hon. M. T. Moloney, Ottawa, Ill.; Hon. Franklin M. Danaher, Albany, N. Y.; Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Conaty, D. D., Los Angeles, Cal.; Rt. Rev. Mgr. D. J. O’Connell, S. T. D., Washington, D. C.; Brig-Gen. Michael Cooney, U. S. A. (retired), Washington, D. C.; Rev. John J. McCoy, LL. D., Worcester, Mass.; John J. Lenehan, New York City; William Doogue, Boston, Mass.; James A. Fogarty, New Haven, Conn.; Michael J. Ward, Brookline, Mass.; William Lyman, New York City; James Connolly, Coronado, Cal.; M. P. O’Connor, Binghamton, N. Y.; R. J. Donahue, Ogdensburg, N. Y.; James G. Hickey, Boston, Mass.; Patrick H. Garrity, Waterbury, Conn.; P. C. Walsh, Jr., Newark, N. J.; Rev. M. J. Cooke, Fall River, Mass.; F. L. Dunne, Boston, Mass.; J. J. O’Connor, Elmira, N. Y.; J. T. Gibbons, New Orleans, La.; Maurice O’Meara, New York City; Rev. J. C. Harrington, Lynn, Mass.; D. H. Tierney, Waterbury, Conn.; Rev. D. W. Fitzgerald, Penacook (Concord), N. H.; Dr. J. E. Sullivan, Providence, R. I.; W. H. Mahony, New York City; Gustav W. Lembeck, Jersey City, N. J.; Myles Tierney, New York City; Roger G. Sullivan, Manchester, N. H.; Richard W. Meade, New York City; John L. Carroll, Newark, N. J.; W. J. O’Hagan, Charleston, S. C.; James McMahon, New York City; John C. Griffin, Skowhegan, Me.; Stephen Farrelly, New York City; M. J. Morkan, Hartford, Conn.; Osborne Howes, Boston, Mass.; James W. Kenney, Boston, Mass.; P. J. Byrnes, New York City; Frank S. O’Neil, Binghamton, N. Y.; D. H. McBride, New York City; Rev. J. P. McCaughan, Warren, Mass.; Hon. George J. Gillespie, New York City; J. A. O’Keefe, Lynn, Mass.; Laurence Clancy, Oswego, N. Y., and Patrick J. Lawlor, Waterbury, Conn.
The company inspected Mr. Crimmins’ splendid library and his costly collections of rare old manuscripts and original letters. Among the latter were notes written by Washington, Adams, Calhoun, Jackson, Jefferson, Carroll, and other historic personages.
Among the Washington letters was one in which the father of his country mentions his contemplated purchase of an Irish wolfdog, on the recommendation of Lafayette. In a letter by Andrew Jackson occurs this sentence: “For you know my parents were Irish.” This very effectually disposes of those who have classed Jackson as “Scotch-Irish.”
Attention was called to Cyrus Townsend Brady’s new work, The True Andrew Jackson, which is dedicated to Mr. Crimmins and the American-Irish Historical Society, Doctor Brady being a member of the latter. Much interest was also displayed in a new volume by Mr. Crimmins himself, entitled Irish-American Historical Miscellany, which has recently been brought out. It is a volume of some five hundred pages and is replete with interesting data.
After the exercises in the drawing-room, lunch was served, and was followed by addresses, readings and musical selections. The whole occasion was one of unusual interest.