ALONZO LINN has been for many years a professor in Washington and Jefferson College, and is worthy of more than a passing notice in the pages of this biographical record. This highly esteemed educator is a native of Pennsylvania, born September 26, 1827, in Butler, Butler county. His father was Dr. George Linn, a prominent physician of Butler. He was a native of New Jersey, but removed in early life to Crawford county, and there lived on a farm with his widowed mother. When a young man he served as a soldier in the war of 1812, having taken the place of an older, married brother, who was drafted. Afterward he studied his profession, practiced for some time in Kittanning, but finally settled in Butler, where he was much esteemed as a good physician, and an upright citizen, taking an active part in all that promoted public morals and religion. He died in the prime of live in 1834. His wife was Elizabeth Gibson, born in Paisley, Scotland. She was a woman of great intelligence and force of character. After the death of her husband she removed to Allegheny county, in the neighborhood of Monongahela City, and there lived with her three children: Alonzo, Hannah (Mrs. Thomas Manown), and George A. She survived her husband fifty-seven years.
The subject of this sketch, prepared for college at Blake's Academy, in Monongahela City, and was graduated from Jefferson College in 1849. In his career at school and college he attracted the notice of his companions and instructors as a person of unusual ability and great aptitude for the acquisition of knowledge. He was modest and retiring, but, notwithstanding, always somewhat prominent for excellence. After leaving college he entered the Western Theological Seminary, at Allegheny, and completed its course, and was licensed by the Redstone Presbytery in 1854. From the seminary he went to the La Fayette College as tutor, served a year, and was promoted to be Adjunct Professor of Mathematics. He resigned this position, and for a short time was principal of an academy in New Brunswick, N. J. This again he left to enter upon a professorship in Jefferson College, in 1857. At the time of the consolidation of Washington and Jefferson Colleges in 1869, he removed to Washington, and here in addition to being a Professor he was made Vice-President of the college. In all these busy years he has maintained a uniform reputation as an educator, as a teacher and a scholar. He received the degree of Ph. D. from his own college, and that of LL. D., from La Fayette.
On November 17, 1858, Prof. Linn married Rebecca E., daughter of Abram Fulton. Their children are four sons: George S., a druggist in Monongahela city; Andrew M., a lawyer in Washington, and Harry H. and Charles F. The Linns and the Fultons for many generations have been Presbyterians, even before their forefathers came from the North of Ireland.
Text taken from page 202 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed March 1997 by Karen Souhrada of Pittsford, NY as part of the Beers Project.
Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]