The university has long numbered among her brightest students young men of Irish lineage. From the days of long ago down to the present, graduates of Irish descent have gone forth and won honorable distinction in life. The dear old _alma mater_ has proudly watched their career and rejoiced in the credit reflected by their success. Americans they are, Americans they have been, by birth, by association, by education, in sympathy, in allegiance, in patriotism. Not that they love the land of their ancestors less, but that of their nativity more. Of Brown’s alumni may be mentioned in this connection: McGuinness, twice secretary of state of Rhode Island, and twice mayor of Providence. Whitney, later ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood. Harson, the prominent merchant, the vigorous writer, a founder of the fraternity Phi Kappa Sigma. Sheahan, clerk of the house of representatives; member of the bar. Monaghan, United States consul to Mannheim and Chemnitz. Brennan, a lawyer of note; judge-advocate-general on the staff of Governor Davis. And so on, through a long and imposing list,—Murphy, Quinn, Holland, O’Connor, Kiley, McDonald, Gillrain, McGinn, Smith, Corcoran, Fitzgerald, Magill, Sexton, Cunningham, O’Neil, Hamill, O’Donnell, Mahoney, Hoye, Feeley, Cavanaugh and the rest. The late George J. West, the eminent lawyer, the able legislator, the earnest friend of public education, was also a graduate of Brown. He was born in Ireland. Nor should we forget that other graduate, Hon. Augustus S. Miller, who became speaker of the Rhode Island house of representatives. He himself has told me of his paternal Irish ancestry. Sarah E. Doyle, on whom the university recently conferred a degree, likewise should not be overlooked. Eminent honor has she reflected on her Irish father. And so I conclude. I have endeavored in this paper to show that in the history of Brown there is an Irish chapter and one of which we may be proud; one, too, of which the university may be proud. I have by no means exhausted the subject, which is capable of much additional development. [Illustration: HON. C. T. DRISCOLL, Mayor of NEW HAVEN, CONN. ] [Illustration: HON. JEREMIAH CROWLEY, Mayor of LOWELL, MASS. ] [Illustration: REV. JAMES H. O’DONNELL, WATERTOWN, CONN. ] [Illustration: MR. CORNELIUS HORIGAN, BIDDEFORD, ME. ] FOUR MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY. BRIGADIER-GENERAL THOMAS W. SWEENY, U. S. A.—A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH—1820–1892. BY WILLIAM MONTGOMERY SWEENY, ASTORIA, L. I., N. Y. Thomas William Sweeny, popularly known as “Fighting Tom” Sweeny, was born in Cork, Ireland, Dec. 25, 1820. He immigrated to the United States in 1832, and died at Astoria, L. I., N. Y., April 10, 1892.