The meeting centered on the donation of a portrait of James O'Brien to the Fall River Historical Society by his granddaughter, Sharon, and her husband, Cliff. Carolyn Arman, representing the Historical Society, provided a detailed biography of O'Brien, highlighting his journey from a child of Irish immigrants in Fall River to the District Attorney of Bristol County. She noted his service in the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-American War, his graduation from Suffolk Law School's first class, his pro bono work for veterans, and his political career, including a run for mayor and his victory as District Attorney in 1922. O'Brien, who died in his 40s, was celebrated for his lasting legacy on Fall River's history. Sharon shared the family's decision to donate the portrait, explaining that after considering other options, including a nephew, they felt the Historical Society was the perfect placement for the painting, ensuring it would be enjoyed by many. Carl, Sharon's cousin, also spoke, emphasizing the importance of preserving Fall River's history and acknowledging Sharon and Cliff's efforts in restoring the damaged portrait. He added details about O'Brien's early life, including his enlistment in the Navy at age 15 by lying about his age and using a different name, and his introduction of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Fall River in 1920 when Roosevelt was running for vice president. The speakers expressed gratitude for the donation, noting that the portrait would help ensure James O'Brien's contributions to the city are remembered. The Historical Society was pleased to receive the portrait, especially after Suffolk Law School, where O'Brien graduated, had declined it. The event was described as a "homecoming" for James O'Brien's legacy back to the city he served.
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all right so thank you everyone for coming today on behalf of the Fall River Historical Society I would like to thank Sharon and Cliff for Their donation of the painting of Mr James O'Brien reading up on James is really a fascinating person in Fall River's history he was a child of Irish immigrants born in Fall River and really worked his way up to being the district attorney of Bristol
0:26County as well as being a lawyer for sort of the Irish American neighborhood um when James joined the Suffolk law school he graduated from their first class he actually worked three jobs to put himself through schooling and when he was 17 he joined the U.S Navy he would end up fighting in the Spanish-American War later being honorably discharged and then go on to law school from there he
0:57will pass the bar exam in 1911 and he will begin working as a lawyer in Fall River he also did a lot of pro bono work for the veterans in the city if they needed help with their pensions or anything like that he agreed to work with them and Mr O'Brien was an incredibly successful lawyer throughout Fall River he was noted as one of the best and he will later on go and run for district
1:24attorney but she will win in 1922.
1:27he will also join the Democratic party and he will later try to run for mayor but he was really sort of this extraordinary man who sort of Rose from nothing provided for his family and though he unfortunately died fairly young in his 40s certainly left a lasting Legacy on you know fall River's history and so we are incredibly incredibly happy for the Ross family to donate James portrait to us and Sharon
2:02if you want to say a few words about your grandfather uh well I didn't realize you you know all the history that you're talking about but I guess you've been reading all this stuff we've been sending right so we didn't know what to do with him and no one showed interest but my husband mentioned it we were going to give it to a grandson but uh Noah a nephew who actually looks a little bit
2:27like him but then I thought when he gets to be our age what's going to happen he's going to go into the closet and never seen again so then he came up with this idea and it proves to be a very good idea I think because other people can enjoy him he's back where he was first born and was popular and you know relatives can come visit it was the perfect placement for him so we're very
2:57happy to have done it early so thank you I don't know if you want to say a couple words Carl certainly say a couple words first I want to thank Carol Arman and the um forestargo Society for doing this obviously preserves a great piece of further history for someone who's really been forgotten over the years this happens with many great men in doing research on my great grandfather I found so many
3:24great you know uh political and leaders Physicians or no owners people that really helped develop this city it's an incredible history so uh certainly happening my cousin Sharon she did and her and her husband um Cliff did a lot of work they restored this picture it had been damaged and you can see what great shape it's in but he is really a remarkable person he's someone who did um you know as Carolyn said he took
3:56three jobs to go through law school he was already married and had already been in Spanish-American war in the Philippine Insurrection and at 29 which is later on you know he decides he's going to make something better of himself and he to give back as as Carolyn said you know Pro bone work with the veterans really one of probably one of the first veterans lawyers to do that type of work and it really
4:20kind of permeated the rest of our family we've had a lot of families have been in the type of Industries non-profits and and help industries and education and trying to give back and you realize how much of a role your history plays in your present and in your future so can I make one correction or what she said he was supposed to be 17 but he lied about his age when he was
4:4715 under a different name because he borrowed somebody else's breakfast every bit to do that so when we tried to find out his history in the Navy we couldn't do it because they had them under a different name well we kept writing letters and finally we found that information and we have it two of the name he went in yeah and that's a great story yes I know I'm pretty sure things
5:14about people that you think yeah my God that was clever wasn't it he wanted to get out of the house
5:34they joined five different times at different times he had six children too and uh you know going in the Navy and being separated from the rest of the family so much when she's punishing all these children and everything it was kind of I took a lot of planning and you know with money too yeah so sorry but I thought about that when you were saying it I thought I gotta tell them
6:08yes history matters so I know the whole thing is really background yeah fortunate that you have it and you can pass it on to us yes you know that will help us oh I think we had already but maybe we'll check it out before we go Insurance done incredible working Sharon and Donna that's over here Ashley Graham children of James and his parents were the children there's a great picture in
6:36the former globe of when he was running for mayor with all his children his youngest Donald hadn't been born yet but he could see the real family nature and they came across another picture when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was running for vice president in 1920 and he came to Fall River and of course it was quite a big deal and James was the one who introduced him to several of these events and a great picture in the
7:03forward globe of him sitting to uh uh left right in the picture and uh um just the type of elbows these guys rubbed is pretty incredible over the years great place to have this it's a beautiful building beautiful staff wonderful thank you so much and thank you to Sharon for really preserving me we're so happy that they wanted it we offered it to Suffolk where he was and they didn't want it and I thought well
7:33well now he's where he belongs so this is a nicer building than Suffolk anyway I've taught around there this is much more classy well thank you for thinking of us yes and and thank you everyone for coming to celebrate James Sort of Homecoming uh back to the city that that he really belongs to um for photographing this I guess it might be written in the paper uh thanks for following up so he'll be remembered
8:08is thank you