Martin Eagan
Martin E. Eagan (born November 19, 1859 in Toomore, County Mayo, Ireland; died July 11, 1920) was Chief of the Birmingham Police Department from 1914 to 1917.
Eagan and his wife, the former Mary Conway, immigrated to the United States before 1900 and spent time in St Louis, Missouri and Scranton, Pennsylvania before coming to Birmingham and joining the police force in 1890. He resided at 1108 11th Street North.
When Mayor Nathaniel Barrett took office on the True Americans' white supremacist ticket, his first official act was to demote Eagan, the city's highest-ranking Catholic official, to patrolman and promote Chief of Detectives Thomas Shirley in his place. Rather than accept the demotion, Eagan tendered his resignation.
Eagan went to work for his former chief George Bodeker, at his Bodeker's National Detective Agency, and managed the firm's Mobile office.
| Preceded by: George Bodeker |
Chief of Birmingham Police Department 1914–1917 |
Succeeded by: Thomas Shirley |
References
- The Book of Birmingham and Alabama (1914) Birmingham: The Birmingham Ledger
- Davies, Sharon (2009) Rising Road:A True Tale of Love, Race, and Religion in America. New York, New York: Oxford University Press ISBN 0195379799