THE AMERICAN-IRISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
When and Where Founded.
The American-Irish Historical Society was founded on the evening of Jan. 20, 1897, at a meeting called for that purpose, and held in the Revere House, Boston, Mass. Over forty gentlemen were present. The Hon. Thomas J. Gargan of Boston presided. Thomas Hamilton Murray, then editor of the Daily Sun, Lawrence, Mass., was secretary of the meeting.
The Preliminary Work.
The provisional committee that had attended to the preliminary work included Mr. Murray, just mentioned; James Jeffrey Roche, editor of the Boston Pilot; Joseph Smith, secretary of the police commission, Lowell, Mass.; Thomas B. Lawler of the publishing house, Ginn & Company, Boston, Mass., and Hon. John C. Linehan, state insurance commissioner, Concord, N. H.
Objects and Purposes.
The Society is organized for the special study of the Irish element in the composition of the American people; to investigate and record the influence of this element in the upbuilding of the nation, and to collect and publish facts relating to and illustrating that influence. The Society aims to correct erroneous, distorted and false views of history, where they are known, and to substitute therefor the truth of history, based on documentary evidence and the best and most reasonable tradition, in relation to the Irish in America.