History of Madison, (Jefferson County) Indiana United States of America

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Biographies:

William James McKee, soldier, was born in Madison, Ind., Dec. 12, 1853; son of Robert S. and Celine (Lodge) McKee, and grandson of James and Agnes (McMullen) McKee, and of William Johnson and Mary Grant (Lemon) Lodge. He was graduated from the Collegiate and Commercial institute, New Haven, Conn., and. engaged in mercantile pursuits at Indianapolis, Ind. He was married, Feb. 20, 1878, to Fannie B. McKinney of Indianapolis. He became a member of the national guard of the state, and in May, 1893, was appointed brigadier-general, commanding. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war he was appointed brigadier-general U.S.V., May 27, 1898, and was successively in command of the 2d brigade, 2d division, 1st army corps; the 2d division, 1st army corps; the 3d brigade, 1st division, 1st army corps and the 2d separate brigade, 2d army corps, serving in camps at Chickamauga National Park, Ga., Knoxville, Tenn., and Macon, Ga. He was honorably discharged from the volunteer service, March 15, 1899, and returned to Indianapolis, Ind., being recommissioned brigadier-general, commanding, Indiana national guard, on the same day.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Oscar John Craig, educator, was born near Madison, Ind., April 18, 1846; son of Miles W. and Mary S. Craig. He was graduated at De Pauw university in 1881, and became superintendent of the city schools, Sullivan, Ind. In 1883 he was chosen principal of the preparatory department of Purdue university, Lafayette, Ind. He accepted the chair of political economy at Purdue university in 1886 and the following year added that of history. In 1895 he was elected to the presidency of the University of Montana. He was married in 1875 to Narcissa E., daughter of Nathan Gasaway. Wooster university conferred upon him the honorary degree of Ph.D. in 1890.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Charles Reid Barnes, educator, was born in Madison, Ind., Sept. 7, 1858, son of Charles and Sarah Eliza (Reid) Barnes and a descendant of George Barnes. He was graduated at Hanover college, in 1877; pursued graduate courses at Harvard 1877-'78; 1885-'86, and in 1892. He was professor of natural history at Purdue university, Lafayette, Ind., 1879-'87; professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin 1887-'98, and professor of plant physiology at the University of Chicago from 1898. He received the degree Ph.D. from Hanover college in 1886; was secretary of the Botanical society of America, and of the American association for the advancement of science, and co-editor of the Botanical Gazette. He is the author among others of "Plant Life" (1898); "Outlines of Plant Life" (1899).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Fielding Bradford Meek, paleontologist, was born in Madison, Ind., Dec. 10, 1817. His father, a lawyer, died in 1820. His paternal ancestors were Presbyterians, who came from county Armagh, Ireland, to America in 1768, and settled in Hamilton county, Ohio. He attended the public schools, and became clerk in a store, first in Madison, and afterward in Owensboro, Ky., and while laboring for his support, continued his studies, making a specialty of natural history. He assisted Dr. D. D. Owen on the geological survey of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 1848-49, and Prof. James Hall, in the paleontological work of New York state at Albany, 1852-58. During the summer of 1858 he was engaged with Dr. F. V. Hayden in exploring and collecting fossils, and he spent two summers on the geological survey of Missouri. He was connected with the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1858-76. He devoted himself to investigating and reporting on the organic remains gathered by the government exploring expeditions, and when Dr. Hayden organized the geological survey of the Rocky Mountain region, Mr. Meek was entrusted with the invertebrate paleontology. He also investigated the paleontology of Illinois, Ohio, California and other territories. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Science in 1870, and of several scientific societies, to the proceedings of which he contributed, and also to various state and national geological reports. He published through the Smithsonian Institution with Ferdinand V. Hayden: Paleontology of the Upper Missouri (1865); Check List of the Invertebrate Fossils of North America (1864); and Report on the Invertebrate Cretaceous and Tertiary Fossils of the Upper Missouri Country (1876); and with Professor Hall, Cretaceous Fossils from Nebraska (1856). He died in Washington, D.C., Dec. 21, 1876.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor