St Johns College - Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

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HON. JOHN S. WIRT

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fm' . , .wgxf Z it HON. JOHN s. wmr, B. A., M. A. R. JOHN S. WIRT, St. john's leading alumnus in the Maryland Legislature, came from a family of which many generations on both sides have been Cecil county fMarylandJ people. His father, john W. Wirt, was born on Bohemia Manor, not far from Elk- ton, Md., and married Miss Margaret S. Biddle. Mr. Wirt himself was born in Cecil county, November 16th, 1851, and received his preparatory training in the Elkton Academy. He entered St. j'ohn's, at Annapolis, with the class of '72, and on graduation carried off first honors of hisclass with the degree of A. B. After leaving St. John's, he at- tended the Law School of the University of Maryland, where he graduated in 1874, with the degree of B. L. First honor man in his class at St. john's, it was not unnatural that he should graduate second in his class at the University of Maryland. Mr. Wirt received from his Alma Mater in 1880 the de- gree of M. A. Devoting himself to his profession, Mr. Wirt soon ac- quired a lucrative practice, and such standing in his com- munity that in 1889 he was elected to the Maryland State Senate, where he did himself and his country great credit. While always recognized as an active party man, his independence on questions of legislation has brought him many friends, not members of his own party. Whether in office, or out of oflice, his name has always been asso- ciated with the higher element of his party, and with all that would tend towards reforming existing abuses. It 7. was largely due to his efforts that the Australian Ballot Law went into effect in Maryland. I Always a Democrat, he was a member of the Mary- land delegation to the National Democratic Convention, both in 1884 and in 1892, and supported President Cleve- land, for whom he entertained, and still entertains, feel- ings of loyalty and admiration. Mr. Wirt has delivered many addresses of a literary character, among which, perhaps, the best known is an address given before the Alumni of St. John's College, in 1890, on the subject of The Relation of Men of Liberal Education to the Civil Service Reform Movement. This address was largely circulated, both in the daily press and pamphlet form. A review, consisting of ten articles in the Baltimore Sim, of the proceedings of the Maryland Legislature for 1890, has also been much commented upon. L Mr. Wirt was elected to the Maryland General Assem- bly last November, and is at present one of the stars in the House. Mr. Wirt's position in the community is best shown by the fact that he is a trustee of his Alma Mater, St. Iohn's College 3 vice-president of the Civil Service Association of Maryland, and is connected with other organizations of a local character: As a jurist, Mr. Wirt ranks among the foremost in his State, and his opinions are eagerly sought and profoundly respected.

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Jizlumni. 'l l l'+'Z ! l HONORABLE JOHN WIRT RANDALL. John WVirt Randall is fifty years of age, and received his education at St. John's College, Burlington College and Yale College. He is a lawyer, and is associated with his brother, Dan.iel R. Randall, in practice at Annapolis. He is also President ofthe Farmers' National Bank of Annapolis, which was chartered as the Farmers' Bank of Maryland in 1805. He is the oldest living son of the late Alexander Ran- dall, of Annapolis, who was Attorney-General of Maryland, Representative in Congress, and a member of the Constitu- tional Convention of 1851. On his mother's side, he is a grandson of William Wirt, Attorney-General of the United States under Presidents Monroe and John Quincy Adams. Mr. Randall is one of the Board of Visitors and Governors of St. John's College, and has been for over twenty years a vestryman and the Treasurer of St. Anne's Protestant Episcopal Church, Annapolis. He has -served in both houses of the General Assembly, and in the sessions of 1888 and 1890, as a member of the Committee on Elections, he was active in trying to perfect the Australian ballot law and other election reforms of those sessions. The journal shows that but for the active support of Judge Edward Stake and himself, the Australian ballot law would have been defeated at a critical point of its passage through that body. In the session of 1884, as a member of the House, Mr. Randall introduced and pushed through the Legislature the joint resolutions which created Arbor Day in Maryland. He was the candidate of the Republican minority for the Speakership at that session. As a member of the Legisla- ture and as Counsellor of the City of Annapolis, Mr. Ran- dall aided in reforming the financial systems of that city and Iii 13 'of Anne Arun-del County, and has been active in legislation to protect the oyster industries of the State. He has been for many years a vice-president of the Civil Service Reform Association of Maryland, and twice introduced in the Leg- islature a bill to bring the State and municipal ofiicers of Maryland under that system. He had charge of the election reform bill in the Senate of 1896, and was a leader of his party in that branch of the General Assembly. In the ses- sion of 1898 he was chosen President of the Senate, which position is second only to the Governor. In the discharge of the duties of his office, Mr. Rand-all has shown himself to be a man of marked executive ability and decision. He is also one of the leading lawyers of Annapolis and is a man of vast energy and great force of character. He is an active Y. M. C. A. man, the Association in Annapolis owing much to his aid and interest. GEORGE H. HARTER, B. A., M. A., PH. D. Dr. Harter was born near Leitersburg, Washington County, Md. He received his early education in the public schools of Washington County, and afterwards at Lebanon, Ohio. In the fall of 1874 he entered the Freshman class at St. John's College and graduated therefrom in July of 1878, receiving the degree of B. A. Dr. Harter showed remarkable qualities while a student at college, and upon his gra'duation was elected tutor of mathematics and Latin in the College. While tutor at college he pursued a graduate course in early English, Anglo-Saxon, etc., with Dr. Garrett and Dr. Hopkins, and mathematics with Professor Johnson, wr W4 '+if',.'1 - V T-. Q ,,mvgg-fvwvw .sp i 11 I-'11 'talnififivia-A