During his high school years, Madden belonged to the Cadet Company, a unit of students that performed duty with the 1st Regiment of the California National Guard, and he attained the rank of first lieutenant.

[5] After graduating from high school, Madden attended the University of California, Berkeley from 1890 to 1891, where he took the literary course at the College of Letters and Science.

[3] While attending college, Madden served in the California National Guard's Company C, 1st Infantry Regiment, in which he attained the rank of corporal.

[9] In January 1892, Madden voluntarily accompanied Troop K, 3rd Cavalry, commanded by George King Hunter, during the U.S. response to crossings of the Mexico–United States border by Mexican participants in the Garza Revolution.

[19] After returning to the United States in the summer of 1904, Madden was posted to Fort Douglas, Utah as adjutant of the 29th Infantry.

[20] In the summer of 1905, he commanded a provisional battalion of the 29th Infantry (Companies F and L) when it performed temporary duty in Strawberry, Utah, during the opening of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation.

[21] After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Madden was detailed to temporary duty in San Francisco, first as executive secretary to Lieutenant Colonel Lea Febiger, the head of Consolidated Relief Stations, then as adjutant to Joseph Alfred Gaston, the commander of permanent relief camps that provided lodging to more than 20,000 city residents.

[22] After his temporary duty in San Francisco, Madden returned to Fort Douglas, where in April 1907 he was assigned to command 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry.

[26] In late 1911, Madden was assigned as defense counsel during the Governors Island court-martial of Major Frank T. Woodbury, a medical officer who was charged with failing to properly treat a soldier in his care after Second Lieutenant Lloyd Fredendall accused him of negligence.

[30] In March 1912, Madden was assigned as judge advocate (prosecutor) for the court-martial of Captain John William Kilbreth, who was accused of failure to pay three minor debts.

[31] Kilbreth was found guilty of disobeying orders for failing to respond to the Adjutant General of the United States Army's inquiries about the debts, and reduced several places on the captain's seniority list, but was not otherwise punished.

[34][35] In March 1914, Madden was promoted to major and assigned to command 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry and the post at Fort Niagara, New York.

[36][37] In August 1914, Madden was detailed to the Quartermaster Corps and posted to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, where he was assigned to supervise construction projects.

[39] In October 1915, Madden was reassigned as assistant to the chief quartermaster of the army's Southern Department, which was headquartered at Fort Sam Houston.

[1] Madden was the army's recognized expert on motorized transportation[45] and production of canned goods,[46] which were vital to the war effort, and he was promoted to temporary colonel in January 1918, to date from August 5, 1917.

[52][53] He was promoted to permanent colonel in April 1920[1] and in August 1920, he began attendance at the United States Army War College.

[1] After graduating in 1921, he was assigned as a student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, which he completed in 1922.

[57] In March 1931, Madden was promoted to brigadier general,[1] and in April he was assigned to command the 21st Infantry Brigade at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

[61] In retirement, he was a member of The Lambs,[62] a social club for artists, and was a resident of the Marlborough Hotel in East Orange, New Jersey.