Eugene A. Philbin

Eugene Ambrose Philbin (July 24, 1857 New York City – March 14, 1920 Manhattan, NYC) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was New York County District Attorney from 1900 to 1901.[1]

Eugene A. Philbin
New York County District Attorney
In office 1900–1901
Preceded by	John R. Fellows
Succeeded by	William T. Jerome
Personal details
Born	Eugene Ambrose Philbin July 24, 1857 Manhattan, Manhattan, U.S.
Died	March 14, 1920 (aged 62) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democrat
Spouse(s)	Jessie Holliday ​ ​ (m. 1887; his death 1920)​
Parents	Stephen Philbin Eliza McGoldrick
Education	Xavier High School
Alma mater	Seton Hall College Columbia Law School
Signature

Early life

He was the son of Stephen Philbin and Eliza (McGoldrick) Philbin.[1]

He attended Xavier High School, and graduated from Seton Hall College. In 1883, he entered Columbia Law School, graduated in 1885.[1]

Career

After graduating from law school, he began practicing law with the firm of Ogden & Beekman. In 1894, he became the senior member of Philbin, Beekman & Menken.[1]

In August 1899, Philbin was appointed to the New York State Board of Charities to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John Vinton Dahlgren (1869–1899, son of John A. Dahlgren).[2]

In December 1900, Philbin was appointed by Governor Theodore Roosevelt as New York County D.A. to fill the vacancy caused by the removal from office of Asa Bird Gardiner. Philbin remained in office until the end of 1901.[1]

In 1904, then President Roosevelt appointed him to a citizens group investigating conditions at Ellis Island. In June 1904, Seton Hall conferred an honorary degree of LL.D. on Philbin.[3] In May 1905, he told the students at Cornell University that the corrupt New York City Police gets about one million dollars in graft per year.[4] In October 1905, at the Democratic city convention, Philbin made the nominating speech for Mayor George B. McClellan Jr.'s re-election.[5]

From 1904 to 1919, Philbin was an active and influential member of the Marquette League, a New York City-based organization that raised funds for Catholic missions among Native Americans in western states. Also in 1904, he became a member of the New York State Board of Regents. He served until he resigned in 1913.[6] In April 1913, Philbin was appointed by Gov. William Sulzer to the New York Supreme Court (1st D.) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward E. McCall.[7] In November 1913, he was elected to succeed himself,[8] and in 1919 was appointed to the Appellate Division.

Personal life

On June 28, 1887, he married Jessie Holliday, and they had five children, including:[1]

• Jesse Holliday Philbin (d. 1978)[9]

In 1908, Pope Pius X made him a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. He died of pneumonia at his home at 63, West 52nd Street in Manhattan.[1][10]

Descendants

Through his son Jesse, he was the grandfather of Jessie Holladay Philbin, who married Ledyard Blair Clark (1917–2000), the son of Judge William Clark, in 1941.[11][12]

Sources

Notes

1. "Judge Philbin Dies; His Illness Brief – End Comes at His City Home After Being Stricken with Pneumonia Tuesday – Was Born Here in 1857 – Justice's Life Marked by Public Service, Especially in Protecting Parks" (PDF). The New York Times. March 15, 1920. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
2. "Eugene A. Philbin Appointed – He Succeeds J.V. Dahlgren on State Board of Charities" (PDF). The New York Times. August 23, 1899. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
3. "Seton Hill Commencement – Ex-Senator Smith and Eugene A. Philbin Are Honored" (PDF). The New York Times. June 16, 1904. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
4. "Grft Bill a Million – Philbin Says This City Pays That to Police Every Year" (PDF). The New York Times. May 24, 1905. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
5. "M'Clellan Chosen; Unpledged, He Says – Accepts Mayoralty Nomination, Declaring Himself Unfettered – Metz and McGowan Named – For Controller and Aldermanic President - Covention [sic] Praises Roosevelt for Making Peace" (PDF). The New York Times. October 6, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
6. "Mrs. Fairchild Loses Case – Court Rules That $250,000 of Father's Estate Is Principal, Not Income" (PDF). The New York Times. April 29, 1913. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
7. "Sulzer Nominees In; Truce with Murphy – John H. Delaney as Economy Commissioner Is Satisfactory to Tammany" (PDF). The New York Times. April 12, 1913. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
8. "Tammany Ticket Includes Whitman – Dr. Darlington for Borough President – Philbin and Weeks for Supreme Court" (PDF). The New York Times. August 27, 1913. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
9. "Jesse Holladay Philbin, 78, Former Bank Official Here". The New York Times. March 18, 1969. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
10. "Eugene A. Philbin Estate $114,529" (PDF). The New York Times. September 30, 1921. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
11. "Jessie Philbin to Wed Blair Clark Thursday; She Will Have 3 Attendants at Marriage in Boston Chapel". The New York Times. May 25, 1941. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
12. "Miss Jessie Philbin Married in Boston To L. Blair Clark, Son of Federal Judge". The New York Times. May 30, 1941. Retrieved September 30, 2017.

Sources

• Annual Reports of Marquette League from 1904 to 1919
• Political Graveyard
• State Court History with portrait photo