Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/151

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

McELLKiOTT


Mcelroy


other extension centres at Poughkeepsie, Albion, Rochester, Skaneateles, Binghamton, and Lock- port, N.Y. In 1893 he conducted three centres under the auspices of the University of Chicago and four in 1899 for the American Society of Philadelphia. He was elected a member of the American Historical association and of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. He delivered courses of lectures on methods of teaching history before the teachers' institutes in Iowa, Indiana and Pennsylvania and wrote numerous articles on the subject for educa- tional journals. He also lectured on '* The Com- parison of the American and British Constitu- tions," at the summer meeting of Cambridge uni- versity, England, in August, 1893, and gave courses upon American history in the great hall of Cooper union, New York. He is the author of : A Working Manual of American History (1895); Method in History (1897); Des alteren Pitt Beziehungen zur amerikanischen Revolution " (thesis for Ph.D.), and The Central Defects of the Normal School (1901).

McELLIQOTT, James Napoleon, educator, was born in Richmond, Va., Oct. 13, 1812. His ancestors came from the north of Ireland and settled in Virginia. He matriculated at the University of the City of New York, but left before completing his course to study theology, and was a candidate for orders in the Protestant Episcopal church in 1837, but was not admitted. He was successively instructor, assistant prin- cipal and principal:, of the Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of New York, 1837-49. He opened a private classical school in New York city in 1849, which he managed until his death. He was a zealous laborer among the poor and unfortunate, and an active worker in the Epiph- any Protestant Episcopal mission church and raised a fund for its support. He served as president of the State Teachers' association. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Yale in 1849, and that of LL.D. from Harrods- burg Female college, Kentucky, in 1852. He edited TJie Teachers' Advocate in 1848, and is the author of : Manual, Analytical, and Synthet- ical, of Orthography and Definition (1845) ; The Young Analyzer (1849) ; The Humorous Speaker (1853) ; The American Debater (1855), besides series of Latin, Greek and Hebrew text books. He died in New York city, Oct. 22, 1866.

McELRATH, Thomas, publisher, was born at Williamsport, Pa., May 1, 1807. He served an apprenticeship as printer at Harrisburg and Philadelphia, studied law at Williamsport and then removed to New York city where he became a proof-reader and subsequently head salesman in tlie Methodist Book Concern. He engaged in publishing school and religious books with Lem-


uel Bangs in 1825. He was admitted to the bar in 1828 and practised in New York city in part- nership with William Bloomfield and Charles P. Daly. He was elected a Whig member of the state assembly in 1838, and was appointed a master in chancery for the city of New York by Governor Seward in 1840. He was appointed state director of the Bank of America by Governor Seward in 1841 and formed a partnership with Horace Greeley the same year under the firm name of Greeley & McElrath, and as business manager of the Tribune placed the unprofitable venture on a secure foundation. He was alder- man of the city of New York, 1845-46, and re- signed his business connection with the Tribune in 1857, on being elected corresponding secretary of the American institute, whose state annual reports he edited until 1861, when he waa appointed appraiser-general for the New York district by President Lincoln. He resigned from this office in 1864, returned to the Tribune as business manager, and in 1866 was appointed chief appraiser of foreign merchandise at the port of New York. He was U.S. commissioner to the Paris exposition in 1867 ; U.S. commissioner to the Vienna exhibition in 1873, where, with John Jay, he was a special commissioner to adjust and superintend the American department, and was secretary and general executive officer of the New York state commission at the Centennial exhibition, Philadelphia, in 1876. He acted as legal adviser to the Park national bank in New York city up to the time of his death. He was married to Elizabeth Price of New York city. He is the author of Dictionary of Words and Phrases Used in Commerce (1872). He died in New York city, June 6, 1888.

McELROV, George Beamish, educator, was born in Pittsburg, Pa., June 5, 1824 ; son of Samuel and Anne (Beamish) McElroy, who came from Ireland in 1821 and settled in Pittsburg, Pa., and were among the founders of the First Methodist Protestant church in that city. In


ADRIAN COULeOE ,MlCHl43A/>».

1840 he began to study for the ministry under the Rev. George Brown. He was licensed to preach, June 5, 1842, and was ordained deacon and elder in 1845. He was married, July 22, 1851, to Mary Good of Johnstown, Pa., where he was then sta- tioned. In 1852 he was elected instructor in the