James Neal HOEY

James Neal HOEY
(1881-1950)

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Spouses/Children::
Mary Catherine DONAHUE

James Neal HOEY

Born: 19 Jul 1881, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA ¹ ²
Christened: 14 Aug 1881, St. Agnes, Pittsburgh, PA ³
Marriage: Mary Catherine DONAHUE 29 Sep 1925, St. Paul's Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA ¹
Died: 14 Mar 1950, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA ² ⁴ ⁵ ⁶
Buried: 18 Mar 1950, Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA ⁴ ⁵

James was born on 19 July 1881 in an area of Pittsburgh known as Soho. When he was nine years old his father, Nicholas, died and James went to work in one of the local tube mills to help support the family. ¹

James in China
James left home when he was eighteen and enlisted in the Marine Corps in New York City on 13 Dec 1899. ⁷ On his enlistment papers he listed his age as 21 years old, which was the minimum age at that time. He can be found in the 1900 census aboard the USS Buffalo which was in the port of Gibraltor.¹¹ On 31 March 1901 he was aboard the USS Monocacy at Taku, China during the Boxer Rebellion .⁸ On 5 October 1901 he was a private stationed at the American consulate in Tientsin, China. He also served in the Phillipines and rose to corporal before his discharge on December 12, 1904 in San Francisco, CA.⁷

James in his Police Uniform
James returned to Pittsburgh after his discharge and joined the Pittsburgh Police Department in April, 1905.⁶ In June, 1915 he was stationed at the #4 Police Station⁹. His pension records indicate he was discharged from the police force on 4 January 1918. It is not known why he was discharged.⁶
He is listed in the 1910 Census living with his two sisters, Maggie and Rose at the family home at 2104 Tustin Street,¹² and again in the 1920 census.¹⁴ By the time of the 1930 census he had moved to 2201 Tustin with Mary and his first two children.¹⁵

On 4 Mar 1922 James was reinstated to the police force.⁶ He was promoted to Captain on 1 December 1927. On 1 August 1928 he was promoted to Inspector. He retired in August 1932.

Several years after his retirement from the city, James was appointed as a member of the Police Research Commission by John Kane, who was at that time a city councilman. The commission was investigating police corruption. When Kane was elected County Commissioner in 1936, one of the first things he did was appoint James as Superintendent of the Allegheny County Police.¹ ^,10 Along with the position, came a residence in South Park, where he, Mary and their three children can be found in the 1940 census.¹⁶ He served as Superintendant until his death on 14 Mar 1950.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette Obituary

Pittsburgh Press Obituary
Superintendant Hoey

James married Mary Catherine DONAHUE, daughter of Michael James DONAHUE and Mary Agnes DONOHOE, on 29 Sep 1925 in St. Paul's Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA.¹ (Mary Catherine DONAHUE was born on 7 Sep 1893 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA ¹ ¹⁷ ¹⁸ ¹⁹, died on 23 Feb 1955 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA ¹ ¹⁷ and was buried in Feb 1955 in Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA ¹.)

2 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate - James Hoey, (17 Mar 1950).

3 Diocese of Pittsburgh, Baptismal Record Extract, St. Agnes Church, (Pittsburgh, PA, 8 July 1999).

5 Pittsburgh Post Gazette, James N. Hoey Obituary, (Pittsburgh, PA, 15 Mar 1950).

6 Police Pension Fund Association of the City of Pittsburgh, Pension Record - James N. Hoey, (Pittsburgh, PA, 1950).

7 United States Marine Corps, Miltary Service Records - James N. Hoey, (Washington, D.C.)

9 Adjutant General's Office, State of New York, Letter to James N. Hoey, (4 Jun 1915).

10 Michael D. Stowell, Allegheny County Police: 1932-1987, (Pittsburgh, PA, 1987), Pg 4, 8.

11 USS Buffalo, 1900 U.S. Census, Military and Naval Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 9, Sheet 2, Line 40.

12 Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1910 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 317, Sheet 16, Line 10.

13 Adjutant General's Office, State of New York, Letter to James N. Hoey, (6 Jan 1916).

14 Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1920 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 360, Sheet 12, Line 100.

15 Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1930 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 2-38, Sheet 15, Line 40.

16 Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1940 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 2-33, Sheet 9, Line 45.

17 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Certificate - Mary Donahue Hoey, (25 Feb 1955).

18 Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, 1900 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, (Washington, D.C., National Archives and Records Administration), ED 173, Sheet 12, Line 79.

19 Thomas Hoey, Oral Interview of Mary Elizabeth Hoey Walsh, (Pittsburgh, PA).

James Neal HOEY

Sources