# Michael J. Egan

In: [Learn](https://handball.theperfectship.com/learn.md) > [History](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history.md) > [People](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/people.md) > Michael J. Egan

Born about 1877; active 1896 to 1906.

## Roles

- Champion: amateur champion handball player of America, [Amateur Athletic Union of the United States](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/organizations/aau.md) (8 January 1897) Source: [The Sun (New York), 9 January 1897, p. 4](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030272/1897-01-09/ed-1/?sp=4) (OCR lines 1-40)
- Player, [Jersey City Handball Club](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/organizations/jersey-city-handball-club.md) Source: [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1897-01-09/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 806)

## Competition results

- 1897 [A.A.U. national amateur handball championship (singles)](https://handball.theperfectship.com/history/championships/aau-handball-championship.md), (division not recorded): champion

## Dated facts

- by 20 October 1896: John Egan of the Jersey City Handball Club challenges James Dunne Jr. on behalf of his brother Mike Egan for the amateur championship of America Source: [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 20 October 1896, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1896-10-20/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 1399-1402)
- 7 January 1897 to 8 January 1897: First A.A.U. national amateur handball championship, Jersey City; Michael J. Egan wins [Sources disagree] Newspaper reports of the first A.A.U. championship give either 7 January 1897 (the preliminary round) or 7 and 8 January (preliminary round and final). Source: [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1897-01-09/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 805-815)

  **Date: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred.
  - 7 January 1897 to 8 January 1897 (preferred, source rank 2): [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1897-01-09/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 805-815)
  - 7 January 1897 (also given, source rank 2): [Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 8 January 1897, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045462/1897-01-08/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 352-356)

- 14 April 1898 to 29 April 1898: Second annual A.A.U. handball championship, Jersey City and Brooklyn clubs; Mike Egan retains the title after losing to Dr. Tommy Gillen in Brooklyn [Sources disagree] The start of the tournament is dated from an April 14, 1898 report that play was beginning that day, while the end of the range, April 29, comes from a wire report that Egan still held the title; the exact dates of the tournament are therefore not fixed. Source: [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 1 April 1898, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1898-04-01/ed-1/?sp=3)

  **Date: sources disagree.** The value from the stronger source (the lower rank number) is preferred.
  - 14 April 1898 to 29 April 1898 (preferred, source rank 2): [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 1 April 1898, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1898-04-01/ed-1/?sp=3)
  - 14 April 1898 (also given, source rank 2): [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 1 April 1898, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1898-04-01/ed-1/?sp=3)

- 9 July 1899: James Fitzgerald of Brooklyn, backed by Alderman Dunne for $1,000, challenges Mike Egan, former three-year amateur champion turned professional Source: [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 10 July 1899, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1899-07-10/ed-1/?sp=3)
- 25 November 1901: Mike Egan of Jersey City challenges Jim Fitzgerald (Denver/San Francisco; 'Irish champion') for $1,000 a side; both claim the championship; no match reported by Dec 1901 Source: [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 25 November 1901, p. 4](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1901-11-25/ed-1/?sp=4) (OCR lines 271-274)
- 22 May 1902: Oliver Drew (Ireland) beat Mike Egan 4 games to 3 at Jersey City, first of a planned best-of-15 series 'for the championship of the world', $250 a side Source: [Waterbury Democrat (Waterbury), 8 May 1902, p. 7](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93053725/1902-05-08/ed-1/?sp=7) (OCR lines 790-795)
- 12 April 1903: Mike Egan beat Louis Keegan of Chicago 8 games to 1 (seven straight in the first half, said by the 12 Apr wire to have been played recently at Jersey City, then 1-1 at Chicago on 12 Apr), $200 a side, billed the handball championship of the United States; a San Antonio paper of 21 Mar only announced that the series would begin that night Source: [San Antonio Daily Light (San Antonio), 21 March 1903, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86090439/1903-03-21/ed-1/?sp=6) (OCR lines 251-258)
- 23 June 1903: Egan beat Timothy Twohill of Kanturk 7-0 at Jersey City (23 Jun) in the first half of a best-of-15 'international' match for the world championship, $1,500; second half in Ireland 12 July; Phil Casey referee, Dr. A. M. Gillen scorer Source: [The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis), 26 May 1903, p. 18](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045366/1903-05-26/ed-1/?sp=18) (OCR lines 282-285)
- 9 January 1904 to 11 January 1904: Syndicated press notices say Mike Egan, 'the world's champion', has written / just published a handball book, called 'The Official Handball Guide' Source: [Lewiston Evening Teller (Lewiston), 11 January 1904, p. 4](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86091109/1904-01-11/ed-1/?sp=4) (OCR lines 191-206)
- 30 January 1904: Oliver Drew and Mike Egan matched again for the world's championship, $250 a side, best of 15, seven games at Egan's court on 17 Mar and the rest at Tarrant's court on 20 Mar; later postponed to April Source: [Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury), 30 January 1904, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93053726/1904-01-30/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 654)
- 19 March 1904: Salt Lake Tribune (SF dispatch): Michael J. Egan, born County Galway 1878, came to America at 17, joined his brother John (owner of a Jersey City handball court), won the 1897 amateur championship of the United States Source: [The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City), 20 March 1904, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045396/1904-03-20/ed-1/?sp=6) (OCR lines 172-176)
- 27 March 1904 to 3 April 1904: Mike Egan beat James Fitzgerald at the Olympic Club, San Francisco, 6 games to 1 on 27 Mar and 2 of 3 on 3 Apr (8 of 15 needed), billed the handball championship of the world; gate nearly $800 Source: [The San Francisco Call (San Francisco), 24 March 1904, p. 10](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85066387/1904-03-24/ed-1/?sp=10) (OCR lines 138-172)
- 17 March 1905: Mike Egan, 'the world's champion', in early tuberculosis; Olympic Club directors gave him a purse; benefit handball games at the Olympic Club (Dunne Jr. and Hampton v. Fitzgerald and Cory) on 19 Mar Source: [Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury), 18 March 1905, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93053726/1905-03-18/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 481-501)
- 29 August 1905: Spalding Athletic Library list: 'No. 13 - How to Play Hand Ball. By the world's champion, Michael Egan of Jersey City. This book has been rewritten and brought up to date in every particular' Source: [The Spokane Press (Spokane), 29 August 1905, p. 2](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn88085947/1905-08-29/ed-1/?sp=2) (OCR lines 485-490)
- 1 June 1906: Press notice: a 'coming match' between Brooklyn's P. J. Corby and 'Champion Mike Egan' (no report found) Source: [The Pascoag Herald (Pascoag), 1 June 1906, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn91070508/1906-06-01/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 197)

## Sources

- [New York Journal (New York), 8 January 1897, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84024350/1897-01-08/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 59-60)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 January 1897, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1897-01-09/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 806)
- [The Sun (New York), 9 January 1897, p. 4](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030272/1897-01-09/ed-1/?sp=4) (OCR lines 1-40)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 20 October 1896, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1896-10-20/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 1399-1402)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 1 April 1898, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1898-04-01/ed-1/?sp=3)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 21 April 1898, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1898-04-21/ed-1/?sp=3)
- [Worcester Morning Daily Spy (Worcester), 30 April 1898, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93058748/1898-04-30/ed-1/?sp=6)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 10 July 1899, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1899-07-10/ed-1/?sp=3)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 25 November 1901, p. 4](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1901-11-25/ed-1/?sp=4) (OCR lines 271-274)
- [New-York Tribune (New York), 25 November 1901, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1901-11-25/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 429-433)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 9 December 1901, p. 4](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1901-12-09/ed-1/?sp=4) (OCR lines 350)
- [Waterbury Democrat (Waterbury), 8 May 1902, p. 7](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93053725/1902-05-08/ed-1/?sp=7) (OCR lines 790-795)
- [The Jersey City News (Jersey City), 23 May 1902, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn87068097/1902-05-23/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 595-665)
- [San Antonio Daily Light (San Antonio), 21 March 1903, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86090439/1903-03-21/ed-1/?sp=6) (OCR lines 251-258)
- [The Courier-Journal (Louisville), 13 April 1903, p. 7](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045188/1903-04-13/ed-1/?sp=7) (OCR lines 1127-1133)
- [The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis), 26 May 1903, p. 18](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045366/1903-05-26/ed-1/?sp=18) (OCR lines 282-285)
- [The Worcester Spy (Worcester), 24 June 1903, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86086481/1903-06-24/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 856-885)
- [Lewiston Evening Teller (Lewiston), 11 January 1904, p. 4](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86091109/1904-01-11/ed-1/?sp=4) (OCR lines 191-206)
- [San Antonio Daily Light (San Antonio), 9 January 1904, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn86090439/1904-01-09/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 512)
- [Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury), 30 January 1904, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93053726/1904-01-30/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 654)
- [The Sun (New York), 29 February 1904, p. 10](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030272/1904-02-29/ed-1/?sp=10) (OCR lines 825)
- [The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City), 20 March 1904, p. 6](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045396/1904-03-20/ed-1/?sp=6) (OCR lines 172-176)
- [The San Francisco Call (San Francisco), 24 March 1904, p. 10](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85066387/1904-03-24/ed-1/?sp=10) (OCR lines 138-172)
- [Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury), 28 March 1904, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93053726/1904-03-28/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 150-165)
- [The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis), 4 April 1904, p. 8](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045366/1904-04-04/ed-1/?sp=8) (OCR lines 408)
- [The San Francisco Call (San Francisco), 4 April 1904, p. 11](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85066387/1904-04-04/ed-1/?sp=11) (OCR lines 185-190)
- [Waterbury Evening Democrat (Waterbury), 18 March 1905, p. 9](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn93053726/1905-03-18/ed-1/?sp=9) (OCR lines 481-501)
- [The San Francisco Call (San Francisco), 19 March 1905, p. 45](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85066387/1905-03-19/ed-1/?sp=45) (OCR lines 173-190)
- [The Spokane Press (Spokane), 29 August 1905, p. 2](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn88085947/1905-08-29/ed-1/?sp=2) (OCR lines 485-490)
- [The Pascoag Herald (Pascoag), 1 June 1906, p. 3](https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn91070508/1906-06-01/ed-1/?sp=3) (OCR lines 197)

## Corrections

Found a mistake, or a source we missed? Email perfectshipllc@gmail.com with the subject "History correction: Michael J. Egan (/history/people/michael-j-egan/)". Please name the page and, if you can, the source.