Thomas Francis Gilroy
Thomas Francis Gilroy | |
|---|---|
Gilroy as depicted in Notable New Yorkers of 1896-1899 : a companion volume to King's handbook of New York City by Moses King | |
| 90th Mayor of New York City | |
| In office 1893–1894 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh J. Grant |
| Succeeded by | William Lafayette Strong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 3, 1840 Sligo, Ireland |
| Died | December 1, 1911 (aged 71) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery |
| Party | Democratic |
Thomas Francis Gilroy (June 3, 1840 – December 1, 1911) was an Irish-American politician who served as the 90th mayor of New York City from 1893 to 1894. Born in Sligo, Ireland, Gilroy immigrated to the United States as a child and became involved in New York's publishing industry and later municipal government. A member of the Democratic Party and Tammany Hall, Gilroy rose from holding clerical positions to become Secretary of the General Committee and Grand Sachem before managing the successful mayoral campaign of Hugh J. Grant.
As Commissioner of Public Works from 1889 to 1893, Gilroy gained a reputation for municipal reform and efficiency. His mayoral tenure was marked by challenges as the 1894 Lexow Committee exposed widespread corruption within the New York Police Department, directly implicating Tammany Hall but not Gilroy himself. Choosing not to seek re-election, he was succeeded by William Lafayette Strong, a reform candidate supported by Republicans and anti-Tammany Democrats. After his political career, Gilroy served as president of the Twelfth Ward Bank and retired from public life.