Stephen O'Meara
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Stephen O'Meara | |
|---|---|
_(1).png) O'Meara circa 1896 | |
| Commissioner of the Boston Police Department | |
| In office June 4, 1906 – December 14, 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Upton Curtis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 26, 1854 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, British North America |
| Died | December 14, 1918 (aged 64) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Isabella M. Squire (m. 1878) |
| Profession | Journalist Police commissioner |
Stephen O'Meara (1854–1918) was a Canadian-born American journalist and political figure who was the first commissioner of the Boston Police Department and editor of The Boston Journal.
O'Meara was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on July 26, 1854.[1] His family moved to a farm in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1864, but quickly left for Boston's Charlestown neighborhood. He graduated from Charlestown High School in 1872.[2] On August 5, 1878, he married Isabella M. Squire. They had three daughters.[1][3]
Journalism
After high school, O'Meara worked for The Boston Globe as its Charlestown reporter. After three months he was promoted to the city staff. He joined the Boston Journal in 1874 as a legislative, political, and shorthand reporter. From 1879 to 1881 he was the paper's city editor. From 1881 to 1891 he served as managing editor.[4]
On July 1, 1891, general manager W. W. Clapp retired from the paper and O'Meara was given control of both the commercial and editorial sides of the paper.[3][4] Soon thereafter, O'Meara fell ill with severe acute Bright's disease. At one point he was pronounced dead. However, he eventually recovered and returned to the Journal.[5]
On March 15, 1895, O'Meara resigned from the paper and was replaced by Francis M. Stanwood.[6] On January 1, 1896, a syndicate led by W. D. Sohler purchased 80% of the paper and O'Meara returned as editor-in-chief, publisher, and part owner. In 1899 he purchased majority ownership in the paper. In October 1902, O'Meara sold the paper to Frank Munsey and retired from publishing.[4]
