Washington and Jefferson College - Pandora Yearbook (Washington, PA)

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. X, A' A . ea , 'll 'ffflll llamea Grier lining R. LONG was born in Qliuniata county, lla., Dec. 4, l86I. ,l-le is the son of john F. Grier and Frances H. fliallagherl Long. lf it isa good thing to have been born in Pennsylvania. it is a better thing to have Scotch-lrish blood in one's veins. Mr. Long has this blood, with marked emphasis on the Irish element, as may be seen in his mother's family name. Grier is a name, cherished from of old, in the Long family. True to family traditions the subject of this sketch has passed it along and there is in the home, at Spokane, Wfash., a James Grier, ffumor, who will some day be a transient resident of VVashington, Pa. Mr. Long was reared amidst the rugged conditions incident to the life of a farmer's boy. His parents were firm believers in the old-fashioned family altar, a liberal education, strict discipline and a large measure of stick-to-it-iveness. Mr. Long graduated with the class of '87. His classmates' were all sure that he was destined to be a teacher. Consequently when he became prin- cipal of Airy View Academy, Port Royal, l'a., professor of mathematics and sciences in a college at Hutchinson, Kas., and later on superintendent of the city schools. Mankato, Kas., tl1e class of '87 was gratifiedg its prog- nostications were fulfilled. But in 1890 he struck out in a new venture, in the world of business, for which his classmates aforesaid had no data what- ever. His splendid success subsequently they attribute to the well-known versatility of the lrish blood coupled with his own thoroughgoing prepara- tion for the work of life. ln 1891 he became interested in The Pennsylvania Mortgage lnvestment Co. and for nineteen years has continued with that company. the greater part of tl1e time as manager. llut his business activi- ties are not confined to one channel. He is Vice President and Treasurer of The NVashington Trust Company and active in its management. lt is one of the strong financial institutions of Spokane, the metropolitan city of the celebrated Inland Empire with its I50,000 population. He is also l'resident,of the Union l'ark llank and of tl1e Union Savings llank, and Vice llresident of the Clearing House of tl1e Associated llanks of Spokane. Even this list does not exhaust his activities, for we find his name in the directorate of several other financial and industrial institutions of his adopted city and the surrounding country. Mr. Long was married October 10. 1895, to Maude Gertrude Sorter. There are three children, l.loyd M., lirances Louise and James Grier. junior. The family residence is at 1307 Eighth Avenue, Spokane. Mr. Long is a strong advocate of college training for all who enter busi- ness, politics, or are active in church and society. His fundamental 1'eason is that college training enables a man to make the most of himself, thereby becoming most useful to society. The college-bred 1na11 should ever remem- ber, however. that there is no success without service and no service is of any value without sacrifice. He believes as strongly now as he did on the day of graduation that 'fone who is a sneak during his college days will probably be a sneak the rest of his life.'i Mr. Long is active in church circles. having been a ruling elder for years i11 the lfirst l'resbyterian Church. He holds membership in the Spokane Club, Knights of llythias and the Masonic fraternity. As the world meas- ures success he has received a liberal amount if it but, with all that has come to him, he has not been negligent of the higher and finer things of life. His fellowtownsmen value him. The mayor has recently appointed him on tl1e committee to prepare a charter for the city whereby it will operate under the commission form of municipal govermnent. l-le still retains the love of literature having one of the largest private libraries in the city-an old love that was displayed while he was l.iterarv liditor of the IVaslzingfon-.fvjfclxvoll-izill. ' - 28

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N W7 21 X X ' W V' L.. JAMES Gmm: Losu J