Thomas F. Carroll THOMAS F. CARROLL, attorney at law and ex-postmaster of Grand Rapids,
Mich., is a native of Monroe County, N.Y., and was born November 24, 1854. He is
a son of James and Mary (Kennedy) Carroll, natives of county Meath, Ireland,
being descended paternally from the famous Carroll family of Maryland,
immortalized by Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, at the signing of the
declaration of American independence. The parents of Thomas F. Carroll
immigrated to America in 1845 and located in New York State, but, shortly after the birth of the
subject of this sketch, they came to Michigan and settled in Van Buren county.
While still young, Thomas F. Carroll evinced a fondness for literature, and took
advantage of every opportunity for acquiring a thorough education. At the early
age of sixteen years he began teaching school, which vocation he pursued for six
years, reading law in the meantime, and in 1877 located in Grand Rapids, where
he completed his preliminary studies with the well-known law firm of Hughes,
O'Brien & Smiley. He was admitted to the bar October 14, 1878, and in 1880
entered into a law partnership with the late Hon. Isaac M. Turner, which
continued up to the time of that gentleman's death in 1895. The firm at that
time had the distinction of being the oldest legal partnership in Grand Rapids
without change of membership, and it is safe to state that no other enjoyed a
more extensive or honorable reputation throughout Kent and other counties of
West Michigan. Upon the death of Mr. Turner, the firm was reorganized by the admission
thereto of Joseph Kirwin, long the office manager under the original
partnership, since which time, out of respect to the memory of the senior
member, the firm has been known as Carroll, Turner & Kirwin. As already stated
this firm has always done a large and lucrative business, and while a specialty
of practice of a civil nature, the different members have at intervals been
retained as counsel in some of the most important criminal cases which have
appeared for a number of years on the dockets of Kent county. From 1883 to 1886
Mr. Carroll served as assistant prosecutor of Kent county, and on the 9th day of
March 1894, was appointed by President Cleveland postmaster of Grand Rapids, his
name having been unanimously suggested for that place by the party leaders as
well as the rank and file of the party immediately after the national election
of 1893. His high character, superior business ability, energy and social
qualities eminently fitted him for the position, and under his management the
office kept pace with the rapid advancement of the city and was brought up to a high state of efficiency. Concerning this appointment, the Postal Record of Washington D.C. said: "Mr.
Carroll is a democrat, a self-made man, and a typical American in the full sense
of the term. Seldom if ever has a more thoroughly popular appointment been made
for an important office in the state than of Thomas F. Carroll for postmaster of
Grand Rapids, not only from a political, but from a business standpoint." It is
assured fact that not a man or woman in this city who has commended President
Cleveland's action in this matter as thoughtful and wise, and upon the
expiration of his term, when a change in the national administration took place,
he turned over the office with the very best wishes of the public, regardless of
party affiliation. Although one of the ablest and most efficient workers for the
principles of democracy to which his long and valued service on city, county,
congressional and state committees will amply testify, Mr. Carroll has never
sought office. Although frequently mentioned and urged to accept the nomination
for mayor and also for congress, he has invariably declined, preferring to work
in the ranks of the party, and to aid his friends in preference to accepting any
honors for himself. One of the leading bankers had this to say regarding Mr.
Carroll as one of the safe and conservative lawyers of our city: "A man of broad
learning, sound judgment, coupled with fine executive ability, as his record as
a lawyer and businessman has often demonstrated. and as has been practically
shown in his official capacity as postmaster of our city, he reorganized and
systematized the entire office, so that today we have beyond question the
best-equipped and best-managed post office in the country, and among all our
people there is but one opinion about Mr. Carroll, and that is, he is a
successful lawyer, and one in whom his large clientage has the utmost
confidence." Mr. Carroll possesses a vigorous personality and fine presence, his face
bearing the stamp of refinement and culture in every lineament, and in any
assemblage of distinguished men he would be instinctively pointed out as one
characterized by a marked degree of energy, intelligence and steadfastness of
purpose. As a lawyer he occupies a conspicuous place among the leading members
of the bar, and his thorough knowledge of the underlying principles of
jurisprudence, his close and critical study, his pleadings, celebrated for
profundity, clearness and logical conclusions, and his power as an advocate mark
him as the peer of any one who has ever practiced in the courts of Kent county.
He always wins and holds the confidence of both court and clients by reason of
his devotion to any case entrusted to him, and the efficiency and dispatch with
which he executes every requirement seldom fails in finding him retained as
counsel in many important cases on the docket. Before a jury Mr. Carroll has few
if any equals at this time in a city noted for the high standing of its legal
talent, and as an orator on legal, political and economic questions, his
reputation has long been statewide. His style, to some degree ornate and truly eloquent, is at the same time
concise and exhibits a great command of the English language, and his sentences,
though often pointed with the keenest satire, are always linked together with
perfect logic and seldom fail to please and convince. His wonderful power as a
popular speaker and his magnetism in swaying audiences, make his services sought
during political campaigns, and his eloquent pleas in behalf of his party have
been heard on many platforms not only in his own state, through which he is
widely and favorably known, but in other states when he has met on the hustings
many of the most distinguished party leaders of the land. However active and
persistent he may be in behalf of his party's interests, he has too much
judgment to allow political convictions to be a barrier to personal friendships,
and as a result, he is respected and even popular with the opposition, even in
the midst of the most animated and hotly contested campaigns. In 1890 Mr.
Carroll was selected for the responsible position of secretary of the democratic
state committee, which place he subsequently resigned to accept another on the
state executive committee; the latter had charge of the campaign which resulted
in the election of a democratic governor and the entire legislative ticket in
the year of 1890. In 1892 he was chairman of the executive committee which secured the election
of Hon. George F. Richardson to congress from the Grand Rapids district, and at
this time he is chairman of Kent county central committee, the duties of which
he has discharged in a manner highly creditable to himself and satisfactory to
the party. Besides attending to his multifarious legal and political duties, Mr.
Carroll finds time to act as a director of the Fifth National bank of Grand
Rapids, serves in a similar capacity on the city board of trade, while his hours
of leisure are passed socially as a member of the Peninsula and Lakeside clubs.
It is appropriate in this connection to refer to his great popularity with the
foreign element of the city, especially the Poles, with whom he has long been on
terms of the warmest friendship and look upon him as a wise counselor and
trusted advisor. Upon the occasion of the recent Polish Alliance of America in
Grand Rapids, he was complimented by being chosen principal orator, and his
address, masterly in every way, tended to increase the respect in which he has
for so many years been held by this large and industrious class of people. His
popularity with the labor element is on a par with that which he enjoys under
the foreign element, and he is frequently called upon in every way, even
financially, to aid it. As an example, in 1897 he made the principle address to
the Allied Labor union on Labor Day celebration, and was again called upon for
the same purpose in 1898, and he is, moreover, constantly on demand at labor
meetings for addresses on the economic questions of the day. Financially, Mr. Carroll has met well-deserved success, having accumulated a
comfortable competence of this world's goods, including large and valuable
landed properties in Kent and other counties of Michigan. He has been twice
married, the first time on the 11th day of October 1880, to Ella M. Remington,
eldest daughter of W.B. Remington of Grand Rapids. Mrs. Carroll died in January
1882, and on the 19th day of August 1889, he was united to his present wife,
whose maiden name was Julia Agnes Mead, only daughter of the late Maj. A. B.
Watson. Mr. Carroll is the father of two children, Charles and Katherine.
Transcriber: Leslie Coulson
Created: 10 June 2006