He was born on December 24, 1907 in Saint Louis, Missouri to a family of Irish ancestry, and ordained a priest on December 8, 1931. On May 14, 1947 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Missouri where he was ordained a bishop on July 2, 1947. He was appointed Coadjutor to the Bishop of Saint Joseph, Missouri on January 27, 1954. He was appointed Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, Missouri on August 29, 1956 and installed October 11, 1956. He was appointed Coadjutor to the Archbishop of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 14, 1961, appointed Apostolic Administrator on June 1, 1962 and acceded to the See of New Orleans on November 8, 1964 before being appointed Archbishop of Chicago, on June 16, 1965 and installed August 24, 1965. He was elevated to Cardinal on June 26, 1967, and served as archbishop until his death from a heart attack at the age of 74. He is interred in the Bishops’ Mausoleum at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois.