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.