Evening star., 1944-03-06
Educated in washington.

life, Mr.. Conboy was closely associ-
ated with Washington personalities
and institutions. He was educated
here at Gonzaga College and
Georgetown University and through
out his career was actively inter-
ested in these institutions. His
other contacts here resulted from
the numerous public services he
rendered the Federal Government
and his lifelong participation in
Catholic welfare work.
Mr.. Conboy was born August %,
1878. the son of Martin and Bridget
Harlow Conboy. He was graduated
from Gonzaga in 1898, receiving the
A. B. degree, and in the following
year achieved the M A. degree from
the same institution.
In 1902, Mr.. Conboy began laying
the groundwork for his future fame
in the legal profession, becoming a
law clerk. But after few years he
found it possible to resume his
studies. and in 1908 received the
ILL., Il. oCSlCC liOlll 1COl eCeOWli
University, and added to his name
an LII. M. degree from the same
institution in the following year.
Was Georgetown Regent.
Despite his prodigious activities
in" the legal and social fields, Mr.
Conboy continued his studies we'll
into mature life, and in 1915 was
awarded Phi. D. from Georgetown.
In 1920, when the Georgetown Law
School held its jubilee, an honor
airy LII. D. was added to his name.
Mr.. Conboy, at the time of his
death. had been a member of the
Board of Regents of Georgetown for
more than 20 years, and had ex-
pect ed, before his illness took a
serious turn, to come here soon for
conferences in connection with the
uniVersity's work He was the Sec
ond Georgetown regent to die with
in a fortnight, the other being
Charles H. English of Erie, Pa.
During his long career, Mr.. Con-
boy was constantly active as a lay
worker in the Catholic Church.
From 1922 to 1927 he served as
president of the Catholic Club Of
New York City and for a time was
a director of the National Council
of Catholic Men. His activities
brought high honors from the
church. He was created a knight
commander of st. Gregory the
Great by Pope Plus XXI, and made
trip to Rome to visit the Pope
in 1925. On January 18, 1881, he
was made a knight of the Eques-
trian Order of the Holy Sepulchre,
a distinction reserved for laymen
standing high in church affairs. He
also was Knight of Malta.
Mr.. Conboy also achieved emf
nence in his profession of law
After the World War, he served on
a commission of five men appoint
ed by the American Bar Association
to investigate the administration
of military law during the war. In
1920 he acted as counsel to the Judi
ciary Committee of the New York
General Assembly during it's inves-
tigation of the qualifications of So
cialist Assemblymen.
Friend of President.
Long friend of President Roose-
welt, Mr.. Conboy was appointed in
1881, when the President was Gov
ernor of New York, as chairman of
committee to study the narcotics
problem. Later he was asked by
Mr.. Roosevelt to sift the evidence
against Mayor James J. Walker of
New York during the Seabury in
vestigation, which led to the Mayor S
resignation.
Soon after Mr.. Roosevelt en-
tered the presidency, he rewarded
his old friend by naming him United
States Attorney for the Southern
District of New York. During this
period he gained fame by fighting
the admission to the United States
of James Joyce's Ulysses" and the
Czechoslovak motion picture &c
stasy"; by investigating the burning
of the Ward liner, Moro Castle,
and by laying the groundwork for
the prosecution of the late Dutch
Schultz, racketeer and gunman, on
"a charge of avoiding income tax
payments.
After his resignation in 1885, Mr.
Conboy continued to aid the Gov
ernment as a special assistant to the
Attorney General in the prosecution
of Schultz, who was acquitted in
August, 1885, but soon afterward
was shot to death in Newark, N. j.
Mr.. Conboy was member of many
legal societies, including the New
York State and American Bar AS
sociations, the New York County
Lawyers Association and the Ameri-
can Law Institute. He also was
an honorary member of the Cana
II S1r@