Born in Hoboken, New Jersey to Irish immigrant parents,[1] he graduated from public, parochial, and private schools.

In 1894, he founded and was president of the Eagan Schools of Business in Hoboken, Union Hill, and Hackensack, New Jersey and Brooklyn.

He was a delegate to the 1920 Democratic National Convention at San Francisco, California.

He served as a member and president of the Board of Education, Weehawken, New Jersey 1932-1940 and was appointed collector of taxes and custodian of school moneys of Weehawken in 1940 and collector of taxes 1941–1955.

He resided in Weehawken until his death in Paramus, New Jersey in 1956 and was buried Tillson, New York.