Biographical Sketch of John O'Day, Esq., Greene County, Missouri

>From "History of Greene County, Missouri," St. Louis: Western
Historical Company, 1883.

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Among those who have given Greene county its enviable reputation for
possessing men of high character, large brain, and sterling worth and
ability, is Mr. John O'Day, one of the leading members of the Greene
County bar.  Mr. O'Day was born in the city of Limerick, Ireland, on
November 18, 1843.  He was brought in infancy with his father's family
to America, his parents settling at first in the State of New York.
When he was about 12 years of age the family removed to Juneau County,
Wisconsin, where John was educated in the common schools and at an
academy.  Arriving at the years of maturity, and developing a remark-
able talent for that profession, he engaged in the study of law, under
Judge Windsor, of Maustin, Wisconsin.  In 1862 he attended the law 
school at Albany, N. Y., and in May, 1864 he was admitted to the bar
at New Lisbon, Wisconsin, before Hon. Geo. W. Cate, afterward a prom-
inent member of Congress.  Leaving Wisconsin in September, 1865, Mr.
O'Day settled in Springfield, February 14 following, and has here
since remained, engaged in the active practice of his profession, in
which he has been extraordinarily successful.  For years he was one 
of the leading criminal lawyers in the Southwest, and now is regarded
as standing in the front rank of the corporation attorneys of the
country.  Since the year 1870 he has been in the employ of the St. 
Louis and San Francisco Railway Company, and for five years past has
been the general attorney of that great corporation, as well as of
two other important western railroads, the St. Louis, Wichita and
Western, and the Joplin and Girard Railroad.  A considerable portion
of Mr. O'Day's time and attention has been given to politics.  An
active, earnest, zealous Democrat, he has performed valuable service 
for his party in Missouri.  In 1874 he became a member of the Demo-
cratic State Central Committee, and four years later he was chosen its
chairman, serving from 1878 to 1880.  In 1882 he was again selected as
chairman and served as commander-in-chief of the Democratic hosts that
won such a sweeping victory that year.  Under Mr. O'Day's management,
and mainly owing to his personal efforts, every congressional district
in the State was carried by the Democracy, four Republicans and Green-
backers retiring to have their seats filled by Democrats.  Though an
active worker in politics Mr. O'Day has always refused to become a 
candidate for any office, receiving his sole reward in the gratifica-
tion of seeing his party's triumphs and its principles vindicated.
May 16, 1865, Mr. O'Day was married to Miss Jennie Campbell, of 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a native of Painesville, Ohio.  They are the
parents of two promising sons, Alexander and John, Jr.  Mr. O'Day in
religion is a Catholic; Mrs. O'Day is a communicant of the Episcopal-
ian Church.  It is quite too early to write a proper sketch of Mr.
O'Day, whose future is yet so largely before him and so full of 
promise, and this apology is given for the imperfection of what is
here set down.

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