Friendly Sons of St. Patrick

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, officially The Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, is an American charitable and social organization for Irish-Americans founded in 1771.

Friendly Sons of St. Patrick
Emblem of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick
FormationMarch 17, 1771
Founded atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
President
Kevin M. Maloney
Vice President
Michael F. Maloney
Treasurer
Robert F. Whalen, Jr.
Secretary
Ryan M. Heenan
Websitehttp://www.friendlysons.com/

Organizational history

Founding and purposes

The Society was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 17 (St. Patrick's Day), 1771.[1]

Among the founders were General Stephen Moylan, aide to George Washington and cavalry commander in the Revolutionary War, and Thomas Fitzsimons, representative of Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress and signatory of the U.S. Constitution, both of whom were born in Ireland. George Washington became an honorary member in 1782.[2]

Seal from book cover

Originally founded as a charitable organization with the intent of aiding migrants from Ireland,[3] the organization has since developed a focus on encouraging "greater interest in ties of friendship between America and Ireland,"[2] in addition to sponsoring scholarships, cultural events, charity activities, and educational endowments.[4]


New York City and other branches

On March 17, 1784, a group of New York City's Irish officers who had served in the Continental Army formed the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in the City of New York.[5] Its founder and first president was Daniel McCormick, a merchant who was one of the first directors of the Bank of New York.[5]

Branches of the Society have also been founded in cities such as Cincinnati, Detroit, Providence, San Diego, and Spokane. The Cincinnati branch has an active glee club which has performed hundreds of benefit and goodwill performances for over 25 years.[6]

Each branch operates independently.[3] Originally all-male, the Philadelphia branch first admitted women in 2016.[3] The New York branch plans to admit women to its annual pre-St. Patrick's Day fundraising dinner for the first time in 2018, but has not said whether women will be admitted as members.[3]

Founding members
Medal of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick

General Stephen Moylan was one of the Society's organizers and its first president. Other founding members included:

Other early members included:

Honorary members included:

List of Presidents
  1. Stephen Moylan - 1771
  2. John M. Nesbitt - 1773
  3. William West - 1774
  4. Benjamin Fuller - 1776
  5. Thomas Barclay - 1779
  6. George Campbell - 1781
  7. John M. Nesbitt - 1782
  8. Thomas McKean - 1790
  9. Stephen Moylan - 1796
  10. Hugh Holmes - 1800
  11. Joseph Tagert - 1818
  12. Robert Taylor - 1850
  13. Gen. Robert Patterson - 1856
  14. William Brice - 1882
  15. William J. Nead - 1884
  16. John Field - 1886
  17. William McAleer - 1888
  18. William Brice - 1890
  19. Gen. St. Clair A. Mulholland - 1892
  20. Edwin S. Stuart - 1894
  21. Hugh McCaffrey - 1896
  22. James Gay Gordon - 1898
  23. William Gorman - 1900
  24. William B. Hanna - 1902
  25. John M. Campbell - 1904
  26. Gen. Thomas J. Stewart - 1906
  27. Edward J. Dooner - 1908
  28. Rear Adm. George W. Melville - 1910
  29. Thomas A. Fahy - 1912
  30. Theodore F. Jenkins - 1914
  31. Michael J. Ryan - 1916
  32. Charles B. McMichael - 1918
  33. Joseph P. Rogers - 1920
  34. John M. Patterson - 1922
  35. Thomas James Meagher - 1924
  36. William H. McElwee - 1926
  37. David J. Smyth - 1928
  38. Frank Smith - 1930
  39. James Francis Ryan - 1932
  40. Frank W. Melvin - 1934
  41. Michael Donohoe - 1936
  42. Roland S. Morris - 1938
  43. Harry S. McDevitt - 1940
  44. Barry H. Helpburn - 1942
  45. Clare Ger. Fenerty - 1944
  46. John W. Laird - 1946
  47. Vincent A. Carroll - 1948
  48. Raymond A. White Jr. - 1950
  49. Gerald A. Gleeson - 1952
  50. Bennett E. Tousley - 1954
  51. John J. Reilly - 1956
  52. John H.H. Morrow* - 1957
  53. F. Raymond Hughes - 1957
  54. Owen B. Hunt - 1959
  55. Frank E. Rodgers - 1961
  56. James H.J. Tate - 1963
  57. John F. Thornton - 1965
  58. William M. Lennox - 1967
  59. John F. Kull Jr. - 1969
  60. H. Benedict Ripkee - 1971
  61. Charles S. Drain Jr. - 1973
  62. Edward R. Malloy - 1975
  63. Lewis M. Evan Jr.* - 1977
  64. John F. Wilson - 1979
  65. Sherwood R. Mercer - 1982
  66. James J. Coyne Jr. - 1984
  67. Gen. William Buchanan Gold Jr. - 1986
  68. Richard R. Torpey - 1988
  69. Frank Hunter Guinn - 1990
  70. John F. Donovan - 1992
  71. David R. Drain - 1994
  72. David W. Sullivan - 1996
  73. Thomas O. Peterman - 1998
  74. Thomas P. O'Malley - 2000
  75. J. Thomas Showler - 2002
  76. Timothy P. Dunigan Jr. - 2004
  77. Russell W. Wylie - 2006
  78. Edward P. Last - 2008
  79. Todd Peterman** - 2010
  80. Drew Monaghan** - 2010
  81. Francis J. Moran - 2011
  82. Bernard J. Buckley Jr.*** - 2014
  83. Joseph P. Heenan - 2015–present[7]

* Died in office
** Resigned
*** Resigned and removed from Society notifications

References
  1. Campbell, John H. (1892). History of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and of the Hibernian Society for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, March 17, 1771 – March 17, 1892. Philadelphia.
  2. "History". The Society of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  3. James Barron, In the #MeToo Era, a St. Patrick's Group Rethinks a Men-Only Ritual, New York Times (January 6, 2018).
  4. "Home". The Society of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  5. Lenahan, John J. (1909). "The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in the City of New York". The Journal of the American Irish Historical Society: 183.
  6. Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Glee Club. Cincinnati, Ohio.
  7. "Past Presidents". The Society of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
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