Thomas A. Doyle (mayor)
| Thomas Arthur Doyle | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait of Thomas A. Doyle in Providence City Hall | |
| 9th, 11th, & 13th Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island | |
|
In office June 1864 – June 1869 | |
| Preceded by | Jabez C. Knight |
| Succeeded by | George L. Clarke |
|
In office June 1870 – June 1881 | |
| Preceded by | George L. Clarke |
| Succeeded by | William S. Hayward |
|
In office January 1884 – June 9, 1886 | |
| Preceded by | William S. Hayward |
| Succeeded by | Gilbert F. Robbins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 15, 1827 Providence, Rhode Island |
| Died |
June 9, 1886 (aged 59) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Resting place | Swan Point Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Almyra Sprague |
| Relations | Sarah Elizabeth Doyle (sister) |
| Residence | 137 Chestnut Street, Providence, Rhode Island |
| Known for | Longest-serving Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island at that time |
| Religion | Unitarian[1] |
| Signature |
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Thomas Arthur Doyle (1827–1886) was mayor of Providence for three intervals (each made up of one-year terms): 1864–1869; 1870–1881; and from 1884 until his death in office in 1886. His eighteen years in office was the longest until Mayor "Buddy" Cianci,[2] over 100 years later.
Early life
Thomas Arthur Doyle was born March 15, 1827 in Providence, Rhode Island to Thomas Doyle and Martha Jones.[1] The family was of Irish Protestant heritage.[3] He was one of seven children, among them his sister, educator and reformer Sarah Doyle.[1] Their father died when Thomas was young.[1]
He attended Elm Street Grammar School, a public school. At age 14 he joined the counting-room of Benjamin Cozzens Esq., a lawyer, manufacturer, and calico printer.[1] Doyle clerked there and at a few other jobs, including cashier, stockbroker, and real estate auctioneer.[1]
Political career
Doyle began his political career in 1848, aged 21, when he was elected ward clerk for the Sixth Ward.[1] In 1852 he was elected to the common council from the Fifth Ward.[1] Doyle also served on the school committee, at one time being the youngest member of the committee.[1]
Tenure as mayor
Doyle is considered by some historians[3][4] and even was regarded in his lifetime[1] to have been one of Providence's greatest mayors. During his tenure Providence grew from "a large manufacturing village" to a "little metropolis".[1] Doyle's leading-edge policies led the way for Providence to become a modern city.[5]
Doyle was known for his individuality. He had a reputation for being straightforward and opinionated.[1] At one time or another he alienated everyone from Democrats to Republicans to taxpayers to the press to city departments, often advocating unpopular policies.[1] His relationship with the city council was often stormy; they were said to be in "hearty disagreement on almost everything" and he often exercised the veto power.[1] He spent a lot of money, increased debt, and raised taxes. Yet he earned respect for being honest and running an administration free from corruption.[1]
Some specific achievements of his terms of office included:
- Construction of Providence City Hall (1875-1878)
- Introduction of a uniformed police force, which became a model for other cities[1]
- Construction of the municipal water system[1]
- Acquisition of Roger Williams Park through donation (1871)[1]
- The city more than doubled in population and wealth[2]
- The city took on large amounts of debt[1]
- Doyle began a complete makeover of railroad approaches to Providence, including eliminating grade crossings and constructing a much larger Union Station. These efforts were not completed until after Doyle's death.[5]
Personal life
In 1869, he married Almyra Sprague, sister of Senator William Sprague. They had no children.[1] His house at 137 Chestnut Street, Providence, stands today.[6]
Doyle was a member of the Unitarian church.[1] He was also an enthusiastic Mason. He was made a Master Mason in 1857, and was elected to various statewide Mason offices including Knights Templar.[1]
Death, memorial, and burial
Doyle died while in office, at his house on Wednesday June 9, 1886.[8]
On Saturday the 12th, his body was escorted by the First Light Infantry from his home to City Hall, where he lie in state. Thousands of people came to the City Hall to silently pay their respects.[8] Doyle is believed to be the last mayor to be honored with a wake at City Hall until Buddy Cianci, 130 years later.[9]
Gilbert F. Robbins was named acting mayor, and he issued a proclamation that on the following Monday June 14, all business in the city should be closed from noon to 3:00 PM.[8] On that day a large procession carried his body from City Hall to the First Unitarian Church for services, then on to Swan Point Cemetery for burial.[8]
Recognition
- A statue of Doyle was erected in 1889 in Cathedral Square, near the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul.[10] It was moved in 1967 to the intersection of Broad and Chestnut Street.[7]
- Doyle Avenue, on Providence's East Side, was named for him.[10]
- Doyle was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2004.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 The Biographical Cyclopedia of Representative Men of Rhode Island Vol 2. Providence: Providence National Biographical Publishing Co. 1881. pp. 512–513.
- 1 2 "Doyle, Thomas Arthur (1827-1886)". Brown University. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
second only to Mayor "Buddy" Cianci in tenure
- 1 2 3 "Inductee Details: Mayor Thomas A. Doyle". Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ↑ Paul Campbell (13 September 2013). "Mayoral portraits on display at Providence City Hall". YouTube. The Providence Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
If you were to proclaim the greatest mayor of the 19th Century, hands down it would be Doyle
- 1 2 Cutter, William Richard (1915). New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial IV. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 2174.
- ↑ "An Overview of the History of the Jewelry District". JewelryDistrict.org. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- 1 2 Bodo, Sandor (10 November 2013). "RearView Mirror: Moving monuments". Providence Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 Memorial of Thomas Arthur Doyle, Mayor of the City of Providence. Providence, Rhode Island: Providence City Council. 1887. pp. 5–13. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- ↑ Pina, Alisha (30 January 2016). "Cianci to lie in state for 2 days at Providence City Hall". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
"I am almost certain Mayor Thomas A. Doyle was the last mayor to have a wake at City Hall," said Caleb Horton in the city's archive department Friday.
- 1 2 Workers of the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration in the State of Rhode Island (1937). Rhode Island, A Guide to the Smallest State. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 290–291. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
External links
- Memorial of Thomas Arthur Doyle: Mayor of the City of Providence
- Thomas A. Doyle at Find a Grave
- Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jabez C. Knight |
Mayor of Providence 1864–1869 |
Succeeded by George L. Clarke |
| Preceded by George L. Clarke |
Mayor of Providence 1870–1881 |
Succeeded by William S. Hayward |
| Preceded by William S. Hayward |
Mayor of Providence 1884–1886 |
Succeeded by Gilbert F. Robbins |
 |
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