author
Martin I. J. (Martin Ignatius Joseph) Griffin
1842–1911
A lively early chronicler of Catholic life in America, he worked as both journalist and historian and helped preserve stories that might otherwise have been lost. His books and essays focused especially on the Catholic past in the United States and on notable Irish American figures.
1 Audiobook
The Story of Commodore John Barry
by Martin I. J. (Martin Ignatius Joseph) Griffin
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1842, Martin Ignatius Joseph Griffin became a journalist and historian whose work centered on the Catholic experience in the United States. Sources agree that he wrote widely for Catholic publications, and that his research and writing made him an important early voice in American Catholic historical scholarship.
He is especially remembered for helping found the American Catholic Historical Society and for editing its records for many years. He also edited Griffin's Journal, and wrote books and monographs on subjects including Catholic history in the United States and figures such as Commodore John Barry and Thomas Fitzsimons.
Griffin died in Philadelphia in 1911. Though not a household name today, he played a real part in saving and organizing a body of history that later scholars could build on.