Alumni Profile: James Fitzgerald
James Fitzgerald was born in Ireland on Oct. 28, 1851. He attended public schools in New York City, and The Cooper Union. In 1874, he was president of The Cooper Union Literary Class.
James graduated from Columbia Law School and practiced law in New York City. He was a clerk in the New York County Clerk’s office for three years.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly (New York Co., 16th D.) in 1878; and of the New York State Senate (9th D.) in 1882 and 1883.
He was Assistant District Attorney of New York County from 1884 to 1888, a judge of the New York City Court of General Sessions from 1890 to 1898; and a justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1901 to 1912. He presided in 1907 over the first trial of Harry K. Thaw for the murder of Stanford White.
Judge James Fitzgerald gave a speech at the Founder’s Day Celebration marking Peter Cooper’s 100th Birthday on behalf of the Cooper Union Alumni Association.
He was married to Julia Fitzgerald and had a daughter, Dorolita Helen Fitzgerald, who was only 3 years old at the time of James Fitzgerald’s death.
Justice Fitzgerald was President of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and he was long a prominent member of the Democratic and Manhattan Clubs.
James Fitzgerald died on December 17, 1922, at his home in Manhattan from a heart attack. He was 65 years old. He was buried at the Calvary Cemetery in Queens.
References:
Wikipedia Entry: James Fitzgerald (New York state senator). Link
Cooper Union Literacy Class, New York Times, June 7, 1874.
Peter Cooper’s Memory; The One Hundredth Celebration of his Birth Celebrated., New York Times, February 13 1891.
Judge Fitzgerald’s Successor, New York Times, November 11, 1898.
JAMES FITZGERALD, EX-JUSTICE, DIES–Supreme Court Jurist for 12 Years and Once Democratic Leader Victim of Heart Attack, New York Times, December 18, 1922.