Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

leaving the army was not engaged in
business for about a year. He then returned
to his trade of hatter and worked
at it for some time, until he became na-
tional representative of the United Hatters,
a labor organization, which office he
held four years. On August I, 1908, Mr.
Flynn formed a partnership with Edward
F. Magner under the firm name of Mag-
ner & Flynn, and was engaged in the
liquor business until national prohibition
went into effect. Mr. Flynn was one of
the organizers and has since been a
member of the board of directors of the
People's Trust Company, of South Nor-
walk. Fraternally, he is a member of
the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks ; Fraternal Order of Eagles ;
the
Spanish War Veterans, and for twenty
years was a member of the Improved
Order of Red Men.
Mr. Flynn married Margaret McNam-
ara, daughter of John McNamara, of
Newark, New Jersey, and Danbury, Connecticut,
and they are the parents of two
children: Mary Gladys and George E.
FOX, James G.,
Contracting Electrician.
The surname Fox belongs to a class of
family names taken from the bird and
animal kingdoms and including also many
inanimate objects, which have a most interesting
origin. It is only within com-
paratively recent times that the ability to
read and write in English speaking countries
at last has become universal. When
such ability was rare, it would have been
futile to designate places of business with
lettered signs ; it was therefore the custom
to designate stores and taverns by
painted or carved likenesses of birds, an-
imals and familiar objects, and the pro-
prietors of such establishments were re-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
371
ferred to as "John of the Bell-in-Hand,"
"Tom of the Red Swan Inn," and so forth.
No doubt the first individual to assume
the name Fox as a surname acquired it
in this way, and in time the preposition
and article were dropped, the individual
becoming known as James or Peter Fox.
James G. Fox, a scion of this ancient
name, was born in Greenwich, Connecticut,
September 13, 1892, son of Thomas
E. and Marcella (Smith) Fox. His father
was for many years engaged in business
as an electrical contractor, and is now
living retired in Greenwich.
James G. Fox was educated in the grammar
and high schools of Greenwich, and
in 1910, after his graduation, started to
learn the electrical business with the
Greenwich Engineering Company. After
two years spent with this firm, Mr. Fox
bought his present business from his fa-
ther, and has since been successfully engaged
in a general electrical business. He
has a store in which a general line of elec-
trical merchandise is carried, but the
major portion of the business is in contracting
work. Mr. Fox has proved him-
self to be possessed of those qualities
which make the successful man ; although
not yet thirty years of age, he has at-
tained a well deserved place among the
business men of Greenwich.
During the World War, he was a mem-
ber of the 315th Ammunition Train, 90th
Division, and was sent to France. He
served at St. Mihiel and in the Argonne.
Thence he was sent to Coblenz, Germany,
receiving his discharge in July, 1919.
DORAN, Joseph A.,
Business Man.
As one of the enterprising business
men of Greenwich, Connecticut, Joseph
A. Doran has achieved success through