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.

Life

He was the son of Stephen Philbin and Eliza (McGoldrick) Philbin. He attended Xavier High School, and graduated from Seton Hall College.

In 1883, he entered Columbia Law School, graduated in 1885, and practiced law with the firm of Ogden & Beekman. On June 28, 1887, he married Jessie Holliday, and they had five children. In 1894, he became the senior member of Philbin, Beekman & Menken.

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).

In December 1900, Philbin was appointed by Governor Theodore Roosevelt 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.

President Roosevelt appointed him in 1904 to a citizens group investigating conditions at Ellis Island. In June 1904, Seton Hall conferred an honorary degree of LL.D. on Philbin. 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. In October 1905, at the Democratic city convention, Philbin made the nominating speech for Mayor George B. McClellan's re-election.

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.

In 1908, Pope Pius X made him a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

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. In November 1913, he was elected to succeed himself, and in 1919 was appointed to the Appellate Division.

He died of pneumonia at his home at 63, West 52nd Street in Manhattan.

Sources

• EUGENE A. PHILBIN APPOINTED in NYT on August 23, 1899
• ANNUAL REPORTS of MARQUETTE LEAGUE from 1904 to 1919
• SETON HALL COMMENCEMENT in NYT on June 16, 1904
• GRAFT BILL A MILLION in NYT on May 24, 1905
• M'CLELLAN CHOSEN in NYT on October 6, 1905
• SULZER NOMINEES IN in NYT on April 22, 1913
• TAKE SEATS ON THE BENCH in NYT on April 29, 1913
• TAMMANY TICKET INCLUDES WHITMAN in NYT on August 27, 1913
• JUDGE PHILBIN DIES in NYT on March 15, 1920
• Eugene A. Philbin Estate $114,529 in NYT on September 30, 1921
• Political Graveyard
• State Court History with portrait photo