San Francisco County
Biographies
HARRY I.
MULCREVY
COUNTY CLERK
OF SAN FRANCISCO
(Excerpt from The Recorder)
Harry I. Mulcrevy is the son of pioneer parents who came to California in 1849 and settled in San Francisco, where the present county clerk was born. After his preparation at the Hayes Valley grammar school, he attended Sacred Heart College, graduating from the latter institution with honors. After his school days were over Mr. Mulcrevy served an apprenticeship of five years to the printing, book-binding and publishing business, and later became assistant secretary of one of the largest publishing firms in the West.
Mr. Mulcrevy’s political life commenced in 1894; in that year he was appointed a deputy county recorder of San Francisco. In 1896 he was elected a member of the assembly of the California State Legislature, and colleagues elected him chairman of the San Francisco delegation. In 1897 Mr. Mulcrevy accepted the appointment of chief of the department of elections of San Francisco. In 1900 the business world again beckoned to him, and when he was offered the position of outside business manager of one of the largest furniture houses in San Francisco, he readily accepted. Then, in 1905 he was elected county clerk of San Francisco.
(Excerpt from Grand Jury Report)
Hon. Harry I. Mulcrevy, incumbent county clerk, was first inducted into said office on January 8, 1906. Shortly thereafter, on April 18, 1906, occurred the conflagration of San Francisco, destroying the city hall, including the files and records of the county clerk’s office. Mr. Mulcrevy at the sacrifice of his private business, thereupon applied himself solely to the task of reestablishing his public office and arranging for the machinery of the judicial branch of the government to be set in motion. Mr. Mulcrevy’s business experience was here used to splendid advantage, and the records show that in a very short time the county clerk’s office and the courts were operating as if nothing unusual had happened.
Mr. Mulcrevy personally supervises the conduct of his office, and is always available to the public to perform any of his official duties. He has established in his office such a perfect system of filing, indexing, registering, recording, docketing, etc., that the status of any court or other proceeding can be easily ascertained by either title or number. The work of the county clerk’s office is divided into several departments and the work of each department is always kept up to date. Every file and record book is in splendid order and accessible to the public.
System prevails; efficient, courteous and prompt service is the rule in the county clerk’s office.
By an intelligent distribution of responsibility and an implicit understanding between principal and deputies, Mr. Mulcrevy has been enabled to handle the ever increasing amount of business transacted in the county clerk’s office and earn more than a million dollar profit ($1,386,861.80) in excess of running expenses during his administration.
(Excerpt from U. S. Veterans Magazine)
During the war period, Mr. Mulcrevy as county clerk of San Francisco, was the secretary of the County Council of Defense; he organized the first California Home Guard Regiment, many of the members of which enlisted in the 347th Field Artillery, A. E. F., mobilized in San Francisco, and subsequently attached to the famous 91st Division which distinguished itself overseas. While “Our Boys” were in training camp at Camp Lewis, Washington, Mr. Mulcrevy raised a fund of over five thousand dollars, staging a pageant and grand ball at the civic auditorium, under the auspices of the following organizations of which he is an active member: Elks, Eagles, K. of C., Native Sons, South of Market Boys Club, Grizzly Bear Club, Olympic Club and Press Club.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 2 Pages 287-289.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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