James A. O'Gorman
James A. O'Gorman | |
---|---|
United States Senator from New York | |
In office March 31, 1911 – March 3, 1917 | |
Preceded by | Chauncey Depew |
Succeeded by | William M. Calder |
Grand Sachem of the Tammany Society | |
In office 1902–1906 | |
Preceded by | Thomas L. Feitner |
Succeeded by | William Bourke Cockran |
Justice of the New York Supreme Court's 1st District | |
In office 1900–1911 | |
Preceded by | Morgan J. O'Brien |
Succeeded by | Daniel F. Cohalan |
Judge of New York City's 11th District Civil Court | |
In office 1893–1900 | |
Preceded by | Thomas E. Murray |
Succeeded by | Thomas E. Murray |
Personal details | |
Born | Manhattan, New York, U.S. | May 5, 1860
Died | May 17, 1943 Manhattan, New York | (aged 83)
Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Anne Leslie O'Gorman |
Children | 10 |
Alma mater | New York University School of Law |
Profession | Attorney |
James Aloysius O'Gorman (May 5, 1860 – May 17, 1943) was an American attorney, judge, and politician from
A native of
In 1892, O'Gorman was elected judge of New York City's 11th District Civil Court. He served from 1893 to 1900, when he resigned in order to assume his seat as a justice of the New York Supreme Court's 1st District, to which he had been elected in 1899. He continued to serve on the Supreme Court until resigning in order to assume his seat in the U.S. Senate.
In 1911, O'Gorman was proposed as a compromise choice for U.S. senator after Democrats in the New York State Legislature were unable to agree on a nominee. He was elected and served one term, 1911 to 1917. After leaving the senate, O'Gorman resumed the practice of law in New York City.
O'Gorman died at his home in Manhattan on May 17, 1943. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens.
Early life
James Aloysius O'Gorman was born in
In addition to practicing law, O'Gorman was involved in politics at an early age.[2] At 21, he was elected chairman of his election district's Democratic committee, which was aligned with the Tammany Hall organization.[2] Soon afterwards, he became a member of the Democratic Club of New York.[2] As his career progressed, O'Gorman continued to rise through Tammany Hall's leadership ranks.[2] In 1886, he was active in the unsuccessful mayoral campaign of United Labor Party nominee Henry George, and in 1887 he ran unsuccessfully for district court judge as a United Labor candidate, but he later returned to the regular Democratic fold.[2]
Start of career
O'Gorman practiced law from an office at the corner of Fulton Street and Broadway, and he developed a reputation for effective representation in civil trials.[2] He also continued his political activities, attending numerous local and state conventions as a delegate. He was a delegate to the 1896 Democratic National Convention, and afterwards supported the unsuccessful ticket of William Jennings Bryan and Arthur Sewall in the general election.[2]
In 1892, O'Gorman was elected judge of New York City's 11th District Civil Court, and he served from 1893 to 1900.[3] In 1899, he was the successful Democratic nominee for one of two seats as a justice of the New York Supreme Court's 1st District.[4] He was elected, and served from 1900 until resigning in 1911.[4]
In 1902, O'Gorman was elected Grand Sachem, the leader of the Tammany Society, succeeding Thomas L. Feitner.[5] He served until 1906, and was succeeded by William Bourke Cockran.[6]
U.S. Senator
Democrats nominated
O'Gorman served one term, March 31, 1911, to March 3, 1917, and was not a candidate for reelection in 1916.[4] He was succeeded by Republican William M. Calder, who defeated Democrat William F. McCombs in the November 1916 general election.[12]
During his Senate term, O'Gorman was chairman of the
Later life
After leaving the Senate, O'Gorman resumed the practice of law as a partner in the form of O'Gorman, Battle and Vandiver.[15] He was frequently called on by the New York Supreme Court to serve as a referee in civil cases, which included the mid-1920s dispute among the heirs of Jay Gould.[16]
O'Gorman was a director of the New York Title and Mortgage Company and the American Trust Company.[14] In addition, he served as a trustee of New York University and the College of New Rochelle.[17]
O'Gorman died at his home in
Awards
O'Gorman received several
Family
In 1884, O'Gorman married Anne M. Leslie (1862–1943).[21] They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom lived to adulthood:
- Mary O'Gorman Malone (1884–1961), the wife of Dudley Field Malone.
- Ellen O'Gorman Duffy (1886–1975), a longtime trustee of Barnard College and president of the Women's University Club of New York.
- Edith Patricia O'Gorman McDonald (1887–1910), who married attorney James A. McDonald in September 1910, and died the following November.
- Dolorita O'Gorman Maher (1889–1981), the wife of businessman John A. Maher, whose father was Edward A. Maher.
- Alice O'Gorman (1891–1965)
- Ann Aloysia O'Gorman White (1892–1961), the wife of lumber company executive Paul M. White.
- Agnes Katherine O'Gorman Shanley (1895–1974), the wife of architect Joseph Sanford Shanley.
- James Aloysius O'Gorman (1898–1946), an attorney in New York City who died after being struck by a taxi.
- Richard O'Gorman (1899–1899)
- Robert Emmett O'Gorman (1900–1906)
References
- ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1911). The New York Red Book. Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 34 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Murlin, p. 34.
- ^ Joint Committee on Printing, United States Congress (1950). Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1630 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Joint Committee on Printing, p. 1630.
- TimesMachine.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 978-0-691-16316-1 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-0-1431-1121-4 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d Dallek, p. 45.
- ^ "Star-Gazette", p. 1.
- ISBN 978-1-7867-2635-3 – via Google Books.
- ^ Chester, Alden (1925). Courts and Lawyers of New York: A History 1609-1925. Vol. IV. Chicago, IL: American Historical Society. p. 54 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Chester, p. 54.
- ^ Fifield, James Clark (1921). The American Bar: A Biographical Directory of Contemporary Lawyers of the United States and Canada. Minneapolis, MN: James C. Fifield Company. pp. 700–701 – via Google Books.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Chester, pp. 54–55.
- ^ "Obituary, James A. O'Gorman", p. 38.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Fifield, pp. 700–701.
- ^ Chester, p. 53.
External links
- James A. O'Gorman at Find a Grave
- Media related to James Aloysius O'Gorman at Wikimedia Commons