HON. JOHN A. McILVAINE, president judge of the courts of Washington county, composing the Twenty-seventh Judicial District of Pennsylvania, was born in Somerset township, said county, April 13, 1843, a son of William and Matilda McIlvaine. His paternal grandfather was Greer McIlvaine, who removed to Somerset township from the eastern part of the State in 1788 or 1789. The early education of the subject of this memoir was obtained in the common schools of his township, and September 19, 1860, he entered the junior preparatory department of Jefferson College, at Canonsburg; but, by doing double duty, and being aided by a fine natural ability, he was admitted to the Freshman class of the college at the beginning of the fall term of 1861. Graduating in 1865, he was awarded the second honor of his class (consisting of thirty-six members), and delivered the Latin salutatory on commencement day. The class of 1865 was the last class graduated at Jefferson College before its union with Washington College, forming thereafter Washington and Jefferson College, at Washington, Penn.
Immediately after graduation Mr. McIlvaine entered as a law student with Hon. Boyd Crumrine, at Washington, Penn., and was admitted to the bar at August term, 1867. For two years after his admission he was engaged as a clerk in the office of the county treasurer, and then went to Kansas, locating at Wichita. While at that place he held the office of clerk of the district court for one year. In July, 1872, he was called home by the illness of his father, and, a favorable opportunity offering, he soon afterward opened a law office in Washington, Penn. During the years 1872 and 1873 he served as secretary of the Republican County Vigilance Committee. Becoming a candidate himself, in 1874 he was elected district attorney for Washington county for the usual term of three years, and at the end of this term was re-elected for a second term. Upon retiring from that office, at the end of his six years' continuous service, he received most favorable commendation from the public press for the manner in which he had discharged the duties of his office. One of the leading papers of his county, of opposite politics, said of him: "Mr. McIlvaine has been the chosen officer to represent the people in all criminal prosecutions in this county for the past six years, and we but echo the sentiment of all conversant with the facts when we say that he has discharged the trust with great ability and fairness. He is a hard worker, and always had a knowledge of the facts, and was fully prepared to present them in a methodical and convincing way. Although a vigorous prosecutor, he was fair; and no defendant had just cause to complain of any undue advantage having been taken of him."
During his term of office as district attorney, Mr. McIlvaine formed a partnership in professional business with Mr. M. L. A. McCracken, and the legal business of the firm became large and lucrative. This partnership continued until 1886, when on November 4, of that year, Mr. McIlvaine was elected president judge of the Twenty-seventh Judicial District, for a term of ten years. On account of the development of his native county in the production of oil and natural gas, his term of office as judge, up to the date of this writing, has had a large and varied increase in the amount and character of the legal business to be transacted; but it is the opinion common to all that the Judge has been equal to the demand made upon his ability and strength, and not only has the business been promptly transacted, but transacted in such a way as to be very satisfactory to both lawyers and clients. The cases in which his rulings and decisions have been reversed in the supreme court have been comparatively few in number.
On December 17, 1874, Judge McIlvaine married Miss Ada C. Shaw, of Philadelphia. He served in the National Guard of Pennsylvania, as adjutant of the Tenth Regiment for two years. He is a ruling elder in the Second Presbyterian Church. He has a beautiful and pleasant home in East Washington, with every comfort and convenience for himself and wife, about him, save one the presence of children. He is free from all ostentatious pride, is genial and affable in his manner, and is always ready to bestow a favor, to speak a pleasant word, and to do a kind act.
Text taken from page 226 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed April 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]