Bios.Tulsa,OK ROONEY, Leo J. F. 
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Posted by Paul Grose on Wed, 16 Dec 1998
Surname: ROONEY, DOWNING, OBERKIRCH
LEO J. F. ROONEY
Vol. 3, p. 1220 
In view of the marvelous resources of Oklahoma, it is not strange that the state has attracted to residence here many men of talent, high attainments and positions of influence from other states. An excellent example of this class of men is Leo J. F. ROONEY, who a little more than six years ago identified himself with Tulsa after a successful career in engineering and business affairs in the East. Mr. Rooney is a consulting engineer with offices in Tulsa and gives particular attention to mineral lands, mines, railroad construction and general industrial development. He is a member of the firm of Brennan & Rooney, contractors and Engineers. 
Born in Friendsville, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, in 1864, Mr. Rooney came of pioneer stock in that section of Pennsylvania, his grandparents on both sides having cut their farms out of the wilderness nearly a century ago. His father was a merchant at Binghamton, New York, just across the state line from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rooney was still a child when his father died and the family then moved to Philadelphia, in which city he attended public schools until about fifteen, after when he spent four years in Mount St. Mary's college at Emmitsburg, Maryland. He received the degree A. M. In 1886. 
After leaving college in 1883 up to 1890 Mr. Rooney was connected with the civil engineering department of Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company and the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. He was promoted in the service until he became assistant engineer in charge at Scranton of one of the Reading's allied lines. Somewhat later he accepted an invitation from his brother-in-law, Thomas H. DOWNING of New York City, to go to New York and associate himself with the customs and transportation business of R. F. Downing & Company, the oldest and best known firm in that line in the city. 
Almost immediately after taking up his residence in New York Mr. Rooney joined the Seventh New York Regiment, National guard, and enjoyed many positions of honor in the regiment up to the breaking out of the Spanish-American war. The Seventh Regiment not taking the field for active service, Mr. Rooney at once transferred into the famous old Sixty-ninth New York Infantry, as a private, but in less that three weeks was commissioned a lieutenant by Gov. Frank S. Black of New York, Within another two weeks he was serving as aide-de-camp and engineer officer to his brigade commander, General ANDREWS. General Andrews was soon transferred to another brigade, and Lieutenant Rooney was detailed to the same position by the succeeding general, James Rush LINCOLN, and was on General Lincoln's staff until the close of the war. For his services in that brief but momentous conflict with Spain he has a number of letters and evidences of esteem from his commanders. 
On being mustered out of service at New York with his regiment in the spring of 1899, Mr. Rooney decided to resume his old profession of engineering, and was engaged by the president of the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad and Shawmut Mining Company to take charge in Western Pennsylvania of the work of construction and development of these great properties. While with these organizations he was elected treasurer of the St. Mary's Trust Company of St. Mary's Pennsylvania, continuing and officer in that institution for more than three years. He was also secretary of the local Commercial Club, and otherwise interested in the development of that section of the state. 
While at St. Mary's, Pennsylvania, Mr. Rooney married Miss Mary OBERKIRCH, of Erie, Pennsylvania, who's brother has for many years been president of the St. Mary's Sewer Pipe Company, one of the most successful industrial institutions in Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Rooney have one daughter, Mary Martha Helen. In 1906 Mr. Rooney was persuaded to go to New York to associate himself with his brother-in-law, Mr. Downing, whom failing health kept from business much of the time. For the succeeding two years and a half Mr. Rooney was confined closely to a most difficult task. 
Having many friends in the new State of Oklahoma who continually wrote him of the possibilities, he spent a vacation here in the spring of 1909. After a visit of thirty days, he fell a victim to the wonderful charms and industrial possibilities of the new state, and decided then and there to cast his fortunes in it. Moving his family to Tulsa, he has ever since been an important factor in that city and the state at large. As a result of his broad professional experience, his service has been of particular note in behalf of deep waterways and similar movements to furnish Oklahoma the best possible styles of transportation for its wonderfully varied products. He has been chairman of the Deep Waterways Committee of the Tulsa Commercial Club, and is a director for the State of Oklahoma in the National Rivers and Harbors Congress of the United States. Before coming to Tulsa he and his brother, Judge John Jerome Rooney, organized the Rivers, Harbors and Terminals Transportation League of the State of New York, and his brother has been appointed president of that organization. His brother was appointed presiding judge of the Court of Claims of the State of New York by former Gov. William SULZER. The Rooney family through all of its branches have been staunch and aggressive members of the democratic party, have rendered untiring service to the cause, but until the elevation of this member to the judicial office have never held any positions of emolument in the party, though frequently given responsibilities that carried with them hard work and the honors of party distinction. 
Mr. Rooney is a life member of the Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States, and is present commander of the Fitzhugh Lee Camp No. 15 of the United Spanish War Veterans of Tulsa. He is also a member of the Veterans of the Seventh Regiment, N. Y., is an alumnus of Mount St. Mary's College, a director of the Tulsa Commercial Club, and is connected with many other organizations. His college associations and professional experience thrown him much in contact with the people of the South, and he has worked among and them and lived with them for many years. 
Transcribed by: Paul Grose, December 6, 1998