# Philip Joseph McKenna I - Chicago politics online verification

Date: 12 May 2026

Subject: Testing the family-memory claim that Philip Joseph McKenna I (1862-1924), Foynes-born husband of Joanna E. Richardson, was an attorney / newspaper man / behind-the-scenes Chicago political figure.

## Local identity anchors

- `raw/family-history-donald-mckenna-1953.md` identifies the great-grandfather as **Philip Joseph McKenna (PJM 62, born 1862)**, 4th of 7 children, husband of **Joanna E. Richardson**, with 11 children.
- `wiki/john-m-mckenna-i.html` preserves John M. McKenna I's family-memory account from Philip J. McKenna Jr.: Philip came from **Foynes, Limerick**, was Dublin-educated, "probably already an attorney," became editor of **The Sentinel**, wrote for a Catholic periodical, and was a behind-the-scenes Chicago political figure.
- The public-record hits below name an adult Chicago **Philip J. McKenna** in 1908-1919. They cannot be Philip Joseph McKenna II (born 8 April 1898), who was a child for the 1908-1915 notices. They align strongly with Philip Joseph McKenna I.

## External online records found

### 1. U.S. Supreme Court case - City of Chicago counsel, 1914

Source: FindLaw transcript of *Willoughby v. City of Chicago*, 235 U.S. 45 (1914):

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-supreme-court/235/45.html

The report names **William H. Sexton, Philip J. McKenna, and Howard F. Bishop** as counsel for the City of Chicago side. This is a strong independent confirmation that the relevant Philip J. McKenna was a Chicago lawyer operating at a high civic/legal level.

### 2. The Day Book - Democratic factional politics, 30 Mar 1912

Source: Library of Congress, *The Day Book* (Chicago), 30 March 1912, image 8:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045487/1912-03-30/ed-1/?sp=8&q=%22philip+j.+mckenna%22

The OCR notice places **Corporation Counsel Sexton, Lee Mathias, and Philip J. McKenna** in a Chicago Democratic factional move from the Lawrence / Hearst camp toward ex-mayor Edward F. Dunne. This is direct public evidence for a Chicago-political role.

### 3. Dziennik Chicagoski - Carter H. Harrison campaign circle, 3 Mar 1919

Source: Library of Congress, *Dziennik Chicagoski*, 3 March 1919, image 7:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045747/1919-03-03/ed-1/?sp=7&q=%22p.+j.+mckenna%22+chicago

The Polish-language article says a letter from ex-mayor Carter H. Harrison to his friend **P. J. McKenna** had been published, then reports McKenna's interpretation of Harrison's mayoral-candidacy position while Harrison was serving with the Red Cross in France. This is strong evidence that McKenna was inside Harrison's Chicago political circle.

### 4. Chicago Eagle - Democratic convention committee, 2 Oct 1915

Source: Library of Congress, *Chicago Eagle*, 2 October 1915, image 11:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84025828/1915-10-02/ed-1/?sp=11&q=%22philip+j.+mckenna%22

The article lists **Philip J. McKenna** on a Democratic County Central Committee group of 200 appointed to help bring the Democratic National Convention to Chicago. This supports active Democratic-party civic/political involvement.

### 5. Chicago Citizen - Irish MPs / Home Rule reception, 8 Oct 1910

Source: Library of Congress, *The Chicago Citizen*, 8 October 1910, image 8:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn90053031/1910-10-08/ed-1/?sp=8&q=%22philip+j.+mckenna%22

The page lists **Philip J. McKenna** in the public committee/boxholder network around the Chicago visit of Irish MPs John Redmond, T. P. O'Connor, Joseph Devlin, and Daniel Boyle. This is not city politics by itself, but it places him in the elite Irish civic-political network.

### 6. Chicago Citizen - John F. Finerty memorial, 24 Oct 1908

Source: Library of Congress, *The Chicago Citizen*, 24 October 1908, image 1:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn90053031/1908-10-24/ed-1/?sp=1&q=%22philip+j.+mckenna%22

The front page names **Philip J. McKenna** as one of the vice-presidents for the John F. Finerty memorial meeting. Finerty founded and edited *The Chicago Citizen*. This supports McKenna's presence in Chicago Irish press/civic circles, but it does **not** prove McKenna himself edited *The Sentinel*.

## Assessment

**Verified externally:** an adult Chicago Philip J. McKenna was a lawyer, acted for the City of Chicago in litigation reaching the U.S. Supreme Court, moved in Chicago Democratic factional politics, appeared in Harrison/Dunne-era political networks, and was prominent in Chicago Irish civic circles.

**Identity confidence:** high that this is Philip Joseph McKenna I, not Philip Joseph McKenna II. The younger Philip was born in 1898 and was too young for the 1908, 1910, 1912, and 1915 public roles. The records also match the family claim that the elder Philip was an attorney and quiet political figure.

**Not yet verified:** the exact birth/death bridge (1862-1924), the marriage record to Joanna E. Richardson, and the claim that he edited **The Sentinel**. Current open records support an Irish press milieu, but the editor claim still needs a masthead, city directory, obituary, or institutional archive hit.