Eugene M. McSweeney (September 1, 1880 – January 21, 1946) was an American public safety official who served as Massachusetts Commission of Public Safety and Boston's police and fire commissioner.

Early life

McSweeney was born on September 1, 1880, in

Marlborough, Massachusetts Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 41,793 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high ...

. He attended public school in Marlborough and

Manhattan College Manhattan University (previously Manhattan College) is a private, Catholic university in New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers (Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools) as an academy fo ...

in New York.

Journalism

McSweeney began his career with the ''

Boston Traveler The ''Boston Evening Traveller'' (1845–1967) was a newspaper published in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a daily newspaper, with weekly and semi-weekly editions under a variety of ''Traveller'' titles. It was absorbed by the '' Boston Herald'' ...

''. He then worked for the Hearst organization from 1910 to 1923. He then organized the Eugene M. McSweeney Advertising Agency. Six years later he returned to Hearst as circulation manager and assistant publisher for the ''Boston Record and American''.

City of Boston

Fire commissioner

In October 1933, fire commissioner Edward F. McLaughlin resigned in order to support

Frederick Mansfield Frederick William Mansfield (March 26, 1877 – November 6, 1958) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. Early life Mansfield was born in East Boston, Massachusetts, March 26, 1877. Mansfield was the son of ...

for Mayor. Mayor

James Michael Curley James Michael Curley (November 20, 1874 – November 12, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served four terms as mayor of Boston between 1914 and 1955. Curley ran for mayor in every election for which he ...

chose McSweeney to replace McLaughlin. Mansfield won the election and McSweeney was replaced as fire commissioner in January 1934.

Police commissioner

In February 1934, Curley, now

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...

, removed Joseph J. Leonard from the office of police commissioner and replaced him with McSweeney. On November 25, 1936, Curley removed McSweeney from office on the grounds that McSweeney was protecting racketeers.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In 1937, Governor Charles F. Hurley made McSweeney chairman of the Massachusetts Development and Industrial Commission. As a member of the commission, McSweeney organized a promotional campaign to bring manufacturing plants to the state. In December 1937, Hurley appointed Paul G. Kirk Sr. to a judgeship on the Suffolk County Superior Court and chose McSweeney to replace him as Public Safety Commissioner. In December 1941, Republican governor

Leverett Saltonstall Leverett Atholville Saltonstall (September 1, 1892June 17, 1979) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He served three two-year terms as the List of Governors of Massachusetts, 55th Governor of Massachusetts, and for more th ...

reappointed McSweeney. However, due to serious illness, John F. Stokes served as acting commissioner from December 1941 until McSweeney's resignation in March 1943. McSweeney died on January 21, 1946, at his home in

West Roxbury West Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, bordered by Roslindale and Jamaica Plain to the northeast, the village of Chestnut Hill and the town of Brookline to the north, the city of Newton to the northwest, t ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McSweeney, Eugene M. 1880 births 1946 deaths American advertising executives American fire chiefs American newspaper people Commissioners of the Boston Fire Department Commissioners of the Boston Police Department Hearst Communications people Manhattan College alumni People from Boston People from Marlborough, Massachusetts 20th-century American firefighters