Patrick J. McCarthy
Patrick Joseph McCarthy (September 12, 1848 – March 13, 1921) was the 24th mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and the first Providence mayor born in a foreign country.
Patrick J. McCarthy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 24th Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island | |
| In office January 1907 – January 1909 | |
| Preceded by | Elisha Dyer Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Henry Fletcher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 12, 1848 Greenvagh Parish, County Sligo, Ireland |
| Died | March 13, 1921 (aged 72) Providence, Rhode Island, US |
| Resting place | St. Francis Cemetery, Pawtucket |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Early life
Patrick McCarthy was born in Geevagh,[1][2] County Sligo, Ireland,[3] on September 12, 1848. His family came to the United States to escape the Great Famine in 1850.[4] The family was quarantined on Deer Island in Boston Harbor, and both Patrick's parents died there.[4] Patrick and his five brothers were separated into different orphanages, adoption agencies, and homes of relatives.[3][5] Young "P.J.", as he was known, lived with various extended relatives and poor houses, until a wealthy Bostonian agreed to fund his education.[4]
McCarthy moved to Providence in 1868, then earned a law degree from Harvard University Law School in 1876.[4]
Career
McCarthy became involved in fraternal and educational societies in the Catholic Church and became known in Providence's growing Irish Catholic community.[4] McCarthy became a prominent lawyer and served on the City Council and the Rhode Island House of Representatives in the 1890s.[5]
He ran for the Providence Mayor's office on a progressive reform ticket in 1906, as a long shot candidate.[5] He was a populist, and attacked the local trolley monopoly, tax policies, and educational barriers.[4] He was in favor of expanding suffrage.[4] He was in favor of eight-hour workdays for city workers, retirement pay for teachers, and pensions for police and firefighters.[3]
The Cranston Street Armory was built during McCarthy's term.[3]
Death, burial, and legacy
McCarthy died on March 13, 1921, and he is buried at St. Francis Cemetery, in Pawtucket.[4] A large, ornate Celtic cross marks his resting place.[4][5] After his death, the New England elite pointed to McCarthy as an example of how Irish immigrants could succeed in America if they worked hard.[5]
His portrait in Providence City Hall was restored in 2012, and for a time hung above the mantle in the office of then-mayor Angel Taveras.[6]
McCarthy was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2008.[4]
References
- "GEEVAGH - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
- Society, American-Irish Historical; Murray, Thomas Hamilton; Lawler, Thomas Bonaventure; McGowan, Patrick F.; Lee, Thomas Zanslaur; Daly, Edward Hamilton; Coyle, John G.; McSweeney, Edward Francis; Murphy, John Joseph (1921-01-01). The Journal of the American Irish Historical Society ... The Society.
- "Mayors of the City of Providence". The City of Providence website. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 Jan 2016.
- "Inductee details: Mayor Patrick J. McCarthy". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- Malloy, Scott. "THE IRISH IN RHODE ISLAND: A Long Struggle to Enter the Mainstream". Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial Committee, Inc. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- "Mayor Taveras Unveils Restored Portrait of Mayor Patrick J. McCarthy". City Archives. City of Providence. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
Further reading
- Mary Josephine Bannon, ed., Autobiographical Memoirs of Hon. Patrick J. McCarthy (Providence: Providence Visitor Press, 1927).
External links
- Patrick J. McCarthy at Find a Grave
- Guide to the McCarthy-Bannon Family Collection from the Rhode Island State Archives
 | ||