Los Angeles
County
Biographies
ROBERT
OWEN BRENNAN
With
an inherent love of and talent for the law, Robert Owen Brennan has advanced
far in his profession, becoming chief counsel in California for the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, in which connection he is safeguarding
the legal interest of all of its Pacific coast lines, and maintains his
headquarters in Los Angeles, with offices in the Kerckhoff
Building at Sixth and Main streets. He
was born in Des Moines, Iowa, a son of Hugh Brennan, who was a native of
Ireland and at the age of about four years was brought to America by his
father, Owen Brennan, who settled near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Taking up the study of law, Hugh Brennan was
admitted to the bar and opened an office in Des Moines, Iowa, where he
practiced successfully for a half century.
For fifteen years he served with distinction as judge of the district
court there, enjoying high standing in his profession. In 1864 he married Miss Jane Crawford Burnet
who was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and as a child was brought to the
United States by her parents, who settled in Ohio. To Hugh and Jane Crawford (Burnet) Brennan were born ten children, of whom six survive.
Reared
in his native city, Robert O. Brennan attended its parochial and high schools
and prepared to follow in the professional footsteps of his father by taking a
course of study in Drake University, which bestowed upon him the Bachelor of
Laws degree in 1894 and that of Master of Laws in 1908. He began his legal career in Des Moines and
while practicing there taught law in Drake University for a number of years,
proving an efficient instructor as well as an able advocate and a safe
counselor. Mr. Brennan has made an
extensive study of municipal law and excels in that branch of professional
service. Called to public office, he was
assistant county attorney of Polk County, Iowa, from 1902 until 1907 and city
solicitor and corporation counsel of Des Moines from 1908 to 1914 during which
time he successfully handled important litigation before the Supreme Court of
the United States involving gas and water rates and street railway
franchises. He was one of the organizers
of the “Des Moines Plan,” which is the system of municipal government and
franchise now used there, and rendered service of lasting benefit to his city,
which numbered him among its foremost attorneys. In January, 1915, he was appointed counsel
for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad at Los Angeles and in recognition
of his exceptional work in behalf of the company was made chief counsel for all
of its Pacific coast lines in 1928.
On
the 26th of June, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Brennan was
married to Miss Rose A. Cochran, of Chicago, and they reside in Brentwood Park,
a suburb of Los Angeles. They have two
sons and three daughters. Madeleine, a
graduate of Leland Stanford University and member of the honorary fraternity
Phi Beta Kappa, received her M. A. from the University of Southern
California. She is a member of the
religious community of the Sisters of the Holy Name and is teaching in the
College of the Holy Name, an institution for young women in Oakland, California. Louise, a graduate of the University of
California, became the wife of Howard J. Thompson and lives in Grass Valley,
Nevada County, this state. Frances also completed a course in the State
University at Berkeley and is at home.
Robert is a priest of the Catholic Church and is pursuing special work
in Rome, Italy. Arthur A. graduated from
high school in 1932.
Mr.
Brennan and his family are devout Catholics and his political support is given
to the Republican Party. He belongs to
the Newman and Jonathan clubs of Los Angeles and is president of the Iowa
Association of Southern California. His
college fraternity is Sigma Beta Kappa, which he joined while a student at
Drake University, and his professional affiliations
are with the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the California State Bar
Association and the American Bar Association.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 677-679,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
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