Thomas F. Meehan

Thomas Francis Meehan (19 September 1854 – 7 July 1942) was an American journalist, editor and historiographer.

Biography

Thomas F. Meehan was born in Brooklyn, New York City, one of eleven children born to Patrick J. Meehan and his wife Mary Jane (née Butler). He was educated by the Jesuits at St. Francis Xavier College, where he recieved both his B.A and M.A. Although Meehan's family would move to New Jersey shortly after his birth, he would return to Brooklyn as an adult, where he would live for the rest of his life.

Thomas Meehan would follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps when he joined the staff of the Irish-American as a journalist. Upon graduation from St. Francis Xavier College in 1874, he was appointed managing editor, a position he held until the newspaper discontinued in 1906. Unlike his father, Thomas Meehan would not devote himself toward the cause of Irish independence, but for the preservation of the history of the Catholic Church in the United States.

He moved comfortably within Catholic social circles. He cultivated relationships with members of the American hierarchy, several of whom had been classmates with him at St. Francis Xavier College. The relationships he forged with his professors and classmates at St. Francis Xavier were lasting and had a formative influence on his life.

As a journalist, his interest in the affairs of the Catholic Church soon led to his reporting on its activities, and in 1888 he began to regularly contribute to The Baltimore Sun as a correspondent on Catholic affairs. He would be one of the first journalists contracted to comment on Catholic issues in the secular press. Over the years, he would contribute to a number of other regional papers, including the Public Ledger, the Richmond Times, and Rotterdam's Catholic weekly De Maasbode. He also acted as special contributor for several local newspapers, including The Sun and the Brooklyn Eagle, as well as serving as an editor at the New York Herald

Meehan had become interested in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States at an early age and had at one time assisted John Gilmary Shea in his research. Over his life, Meehan contributed to several publications, including The Catholic World, North American Review, America, and the Records and Studies of the Catholic Historical Society. He wrote a biography of the noted Catholic layman Thomas Mulry (1855–1916) and acted as editor and contributor to the Catholic Builders of the United States series. In 1905 he was hired to manage the editorial room for the Catholic Encyclopedia and in 1909 was persuaded by his close friend and colleague, John J. Wynne, to oversee the editorial production of the then newly founded Jesuit weekly magazine America. He was appointed editor of the Records and Studies of the Catholic Historical Society in 1905, succeeding his friend Charles George Herbermann, co-founder of the society.

In 1939, at the age of 84, Meehan finally accepted the position of president of the Catholic Historical Society, which he held up until his death in 1942. Recognition for his service to the church came when Pope Pius XI appointed him a Knight of St. Gregory in 1931, one of the highest honors bestowed by the church on a member of the laity. He was presented with an award by the Brooklyn Alumni Sodality in 1939 for his achievements, and in 1941 he was honored with an honorary degree from Fordham University during its centenary year.

Private life

In 1881 Meehan married Mary O'Rourke and together they had five children.

References

• Farrelly, Natalena (1944). Thomas Francis Meehan (1854–1942). New York: United States Catholic Historical Society.

External links

• Works by Thomas F. Meehan at JSTOR