The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick/Friends Sons and Daughters 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. It was founded in 1771.
 Emblem of the Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick | |
| Formation | March 17, 1771 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
President | Michael F. Maloney |
Vice President | Zach Gorman, Esq. |
Treasurer | Gene McWilliams |
Secretary | Colleen O'Riordan |
| Website | http://www.friendlysonsanddaughters.com/ |
Organizational history
editFounding and purposes
editThe 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]
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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
editOn 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
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General Stephen Moylan was one of the Society's organizers and its first president. Other founding members included:
Other early members included:
- John Leamy
- Commodore John Barry
- General Anthony Wayne
- General John Cadwalader
- General William Irvine
- General Richard Butler
- General William Thompson
- Tench Francis Jr.
Honorary members included:
List of presidents
edit- Stephen Moylan - 1771
- John M. Nesbitt - 1773
- William West - 1774
- Benjamin Fuller - 1776
- Thomas Barclay - 1779
- George Campbell - 1781
- John M. Nesbitt - 1782
- Thomas McKean - 1790
- Stephen Moylan - 1796
- Hugh Holmes - 1800
- Joseph Tagert - 1818
- Robert Taylor - 1850
- Gen. Robert Patterson - 1856
- William Brice - 1882
- William J. Nead - 1884
- John Field - 1886
- William McAleer - 1888
- William Brice - 1890
- Gen. St. Clair A. Mulholland - 1892
- Edwin S. Stuart - 1894
- Hugh McCaffrey - 1896
- James Gay Gordon - 1898
- William Gorman - 1900
- William B. Hanna - 1902
- John M. Campbell - 1904
- Gen. Thomas J. Stewart - 1906
- Edward J. Dooner - 1908
- Rear Adm. George W. Melville - 1910
- Thomas A. Fahy - 1912
- Theodore F. Jenkins - 1914
- Michael J. Ryan - 1916
- Charles B. McMichael - 1918
- Joseph P. Rogers - 1920
- John M. Patterson - 1922
- Thomas James Meagher - 1924
- William H. McElwee - 1926
- David J. Smyth - 1928
- Frank Smith - 1930
- James Francis Ryan - 1932
- Frank W. Melvin - 1934
- Michael Donohoe - 1936
- Roland S. Morris - 1938
- Harry S. McDevitt - 1940
- Barry H. Helpburn - 1942
- Clare Ger. Fenerty - 1944
- John W. Laird - 1946
- Vincent A. Carroll - 1948
- Raymond A. White Jr. - 1950
- Gerald A. Gleeson - 1952
- Bennett E. Tousley - 1954
- John J. Reilly - 1956
- John H.H. Morrow* - 1957
- F. Raymond Hughes - 1957
- Owen B. Hunt - 1959
- Frank E. Rodgers - 1961
- James H.J. Tate - 1963
- John F. Thornton - 1965
- William M. Lennox - 1967
- John F. Kull Jr. - 1969
- H. Benedict Ripkee - 1971
- Charles S. Drain Jr. - 1973
- Edward R. Malloy - 1975
- Lewis M. Evan Jr.* - 1977
- John F. Wilson - 1979
- Sherwood R. Mercer - 1982
- James J. Coyne Jr. - 1984
- Gen. William Buchanan Gold Jr. - 1986
- Richard R. Torpey - 1988
- Frank Hunter Guinn - 1990
- John F. Donovan - 1992
- David R. Drain - 1994
- David W. Sullivan - 1996
- Thomas O. Peterman - 1998
- Thomas P. O'Malley - 2000
- J. Thomas Showler - 2002
- Timothy P. Dunigan Jr. - 2004
- Russell W. Wylie - 2006
- Edward P. Last - 2008
- Todd Peterman** - 2010
- Drew Monaghan** - 2010
- Francis J. Moran - 2011
- Bernard J. Buckley Jr.*** - 2014
- Joseph P. Heenan - 2015 [7]
- Kevin M. Maloney - 2018 [8]
- Ryan M. Heenan - 2020 [9]
- Michael F. Maloney - 2022 [8]
* Died in office
** Resigned
*** Resigned and removed from Society notifications
References
edit- ^ 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.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b "History". The Society of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
- ^ a b c d James Barron, In the #MeToo Era, a St. Patrick's Group Rethinks a Men-Only Ritual, New York Times (January 6, 2018).
- ^ "Home". The Society of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Glee Club. Cincinnati, Ohio.
- ^ "Past Presidents". The Society of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
- ^ a b "Friendly Sons and Daughters of St Patrick in US keeping 'American Dream' alive". 17 March 2023.
- ^ https://irishedition.com/2020/11/tradition-continues-as-ryan-heenan-becomes-president-of-the-friendly-sons-of-st-patrick-for-its-250th-anniversary-year-2021/#:~:text=Ryan%20Heenan%2C%20current%20President%20of,in%202010%20at%20age%2018. [bare URL]
External links
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