Ohio University - Athena Yearbook (Athens, OH)

Page 24 text:

|tn ijUnnotn am JOHN HANCOCK, LL.D. John Hancock was born February 18, 1825, in Clermont County, Ohio. He began his splendid career as an educator by teaching in district schools. But his talents were soon recognized, and promotion followed. He became principal of the intermediate schools of Cincinnati, a city that after- wards secured him as superintendent. In 1864 he became a soldier, enlisting in the hundred days ' service, After the close of the war he again took up the work of teaching. At one time he was at the head of a commercial college. He after- ward spent twenty years of his life in superintending schools at Cincinnati, Dayton and Chillicothe. He was still engaged in this work when elected to the office of State School Com- missioner, in 1888; the duties of which office he was faithfully performing at the time of his death, which occurred June 1, 1891. He was a most highly honored and efficient member of tin- Hoard of Trustees of the Ohio University, having been appointed in 1877. In his death the Ohio University lost a true friend, and the nation one of its distinguished educators.

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In Memorihm. $ohn Hancock, gg+Q mvi gvtne 1, 1891. Uteb 3Utflitst 5, 1891. Don 31, ® vouttt, gJtefc gjtanuarg 2, 1892.

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HON. JOHN WELCH. Judge John Welch, who died August 5, 1891, was for forty-three years a member of the Board of» Trustees of the Ohio University. His interest in the welfare of the college never flagged. He rejoiced in her recent prosperity, and was ever ready to give of his time and thought to advance her interests. His death was a great loss to the college and to the cause of education in general, and his membership on the Board of Trustees for so many years was an honor to the uni- versity. Judge Welch was born in 1805, on his father ' s farm in Harrison County, (). His early education was mainly acquired at the unpretending Franklin College, at New Athens, in his native count}-, where he took a partial course, and ow- ing to ill health and lack of means he abandoned his studies. He was twenty-six years old when he began the study of the law ; was admitted to practice in 1833, at the age of twenty eight, and soon had a lucrative and ex- tensive practice in the courts of southeastern Ohio. In 1846-7 he was a member of the Ohio Senate. In 185 1-2 a member of Congress from the old Eleventh Ohio District. In 1862 he was elected to the Common Pleas bench, and while so serving was called to the bench of the Supreme Court of Ohio, on which he served thirteen years, retiring at the age of seventy- two, having been its Chief Justice twice. His opinions while on the Supreme bench are to be found in Vols. 15-26 of the Ohio State Reports-, and will rank easily with those of Ranney, Thur- man and other distinguished jurists who have adorned that bench. These constitute the chief monument of Judge Welch ' s fame as lawyer and jurist. In 1887 he compiled Welch ' s Index Digest of the Ohio Decisions, a work of great benefit to the profession ; and the winter before his death he prepared a supplement to the same work, which was in press at the time of his death. In man)- respects Judge Welch was a remarkable man. His profession, the State and the community in which he lived suffered an irreparable loss in his death.