• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Irish America

Irish America

  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CONTRIBUTORS
  • IN THIS ISSUE
  • HALL OF FAME
  • THE LISTS
    • BUSINESS 100
    • HALL OF FAME
    • HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES 50
    • WALL STREET 50
  • LIBRARY
  • TRAVEL
  • EVENTS

New York’s Grand Marshal

By Irish America Staff
April / May 2004

April 1, 2004 by Leave a Comment

When Thomas Gleason, 79, leads the St. Patrick’s Day Parade up Fifth Avenue he will be following in his father’s footsteps. His father, the late Thomas W. “Teddy” Gleason, was Grand Marshal in 1983.

A World War II veteran, Thomas Gleason joined the Marines at the end of 1941. He served in the Marshall Islands and the Marianas (from where the Army Air Corps’ long-range bombers could make non-stop strikes on Japan). Gleason was wounded in combat and lost a leg. Shrapnel from his other leg was only removed last year, he told Irish America.

After the war, Gleason became a lawyer, and he still practices at his Manhattan firm of Gleason and Matthews on lower Broadway.

Gleason’s grandfather emigrated to New York from Tipperary, joined the military and saw action in the Spanish American War. His father, the aforementioned Teddy Gleason, was the powerful president of the International Longshoremen’s Association for 24 years, beginning in 1963.

This will be the 243rd New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The first parade in NYC took place in 1766 when Irishmen from the Revolutionary War brought the tradition to the New World. The military units continued to march each year until after the War of 1812 when local Irish fraternal and beneficial societies began sponsoring the parade.

Gleason has long been involved with the Parade and is a founding member of the Knights of St. Patrick. He and his wife, Catherine Fahey, have nine children: seven daughters and two sons. ♦

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Highlights

News
Articles and stories from Irish America.....
MORE

Hibernia
News from Ireland and happenings in Irish America.....
MORE

Those We Lost
Remembering some of the great Irish Americans who have passed.....
MORE

Slainte!
Discover Irish ancestry, predilections, and recipes.....
MORE

Photo Album
Irish America readers share the stories of their ancestors....
MORE

More Articles

  • A Portrait of George Moore and Modern Ireland

    A Portrait of George Moore and Modern Ireland

    The Metropolitan Museum of Art has recently opened a remarkable exhibition titled “Manet/Degas,” whi...
  • Niall O'Dowd with Loretta Brennan Glucksman (center), co-chair of the Glucksman Ireland House at NYU, and Niall's wife Debbie McGoldrick, the Editor of the Irish Voice at the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner on March 16. Photo courtesy John Sanderson/AnnieWatt.com

    How the Irish Famine Changed American History

    Niall O'Dowd, Irish America's publisher, was the guest of honor at the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick...
  • Moores Creek Bridge: A small battle with huge implications

    Moores Creek Bridge: A small battle with huge implications

    Small bands of Patriots and Loyalists who fought with fierce devotion were formed during the early ...
  • Mick Moloney Remembered at Irish Arts Center

    Mick Moloney Remembered at Irish Arts Center

    Mick Moloney, a legend in the history of Irish music, who passed away suddenly on July 30, 2022, wil...

Footer

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift
  • Newsletter

Additional

  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · IrishAmerica Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in