Dade County FlArchives Biographies.....Cleary, A. J. 
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Nancy Rayburn Naev@earthlink.net October 22, 2007, 3:26 pm

Author: The History of Florida:  Past & Present, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1923,  Vol. II pg.132

	CLEARY, A. J.  As a result of his experience and unusual abilities Mr. 
CLEARY is without doubt one of the best known and most popular citizens of 
Miami.  He has a wide circle of friends and admirers who appreciate his 
versatile gifts and interests.  Mr. CLEARY regards himself as permanently 
established in Miami, where he is engaged in the real estate business, and is 
also a large individual property owner.
	He was born, reared and educated at Medina, New York, and as a young 
man took up telegraphy as a profession.  For several years he divided his time 
between this work during the winter seasons and professional baseball during 
the summer seasons.  He played shortstop with the Rochester Club of the 
Eastern League in 1907 and 1908.  For several following years he was an umpire 
with this league, and just before America entered the war with Germany in 1917 
he had contracted as an umpire with the National League.  He surrendered this 
contract in order to give his services to the Government.
	For several years before locating permanently in Miami, in the winter 
of 1917, Mr. CLEARY had been coming here for the winter seasons, having charge 
of the Western Union Telegraph Office in the Royal Palm Hotel.  On the sixth 
of April, 1917, the day war was declared, he enlisted at Miami as a second 
class electrician in the United States Navy, Seventh Naval District.  All his 
duties until after the armistice were at Key West.  He was commissioned an 
ensign and put in charge as communication officer of the Seventh Naval 
District, including all the Florida Coast from Pensacola to St. Augustine.  
Mr. CLEARY was honorably discharged December 10, 1918.
	For several years he has given most of his time to his interests as 
owner of business property in Miami and the handing of real estate generally.  
One very notable achievement for a man of his years and which has given him a 
deservedly high reputation in business and financial circles was his 
performance as receiver for the Fidelity Bank, which failed in 1920.  He was 
commissioned to take charge of the settling up of the bank’s affairs for the 
benefit of the stockholders and depositors.  He handled this matter with such 
efficiency that all concerned have been paid in full and the Fidelity 
certificates are now at par.
	During 1920-21 Mr. CLEARY was commander of Harvey B. Seeds Post, 
American Legion, at Miami.  He did not regard this as merely an empty honor, 
but devoted a large part of his time while president to promoting the 
interests of the post and enlarging its membership.  The greater part of the 
permanent membership of the post today is due to the energetic efforts he put 
forth at that time.
	Mr. CLEARY is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Elks, the 
Civitan Club and the Miami Realty Board.  He married Mrs. MARY J. MORSE, of 
Montana.


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