History of Alexandria, (Huntingdon County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Biographies:

John Scott, senator, was born at Alexandria, Pa., July 24, 1824; son of Maj.-Gen. John Scott, an officer in the war of 1812 and a representative in the 21st congress, 1829?31. John attended the common schools and the law department of Marshall college, Chambersburg, Pa., was admitted to the bar in 1846, and practised law in Huntingdon, Pa., 1846?69. He was prosecuting attorney for Huntingdon county, 1846?49; a member of the revenue commission in 1851; a Republican representative in the state legislature in 1862; presided over the Republican state convention of 1867, and was elected U.S. senator to succeed Charles R. Buckalew, serving 1869?75. While in the senate he served on the committees on naval affairs, claims, and Pacific railroads, and was chairman of the special committee to investigate Ku-Klux outrages in the South. He declined the secretaryship of the interior and returned to his law practice in Pennsylvania in 1875. He was special counsel of the Pennsylvania railroad, at Pittsburg, Pa., 1875?77; and general solicitor, 1877?95. He was a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, 1884?96, and a director and trustee of the Princeton Theological seminary, 1889?96. He died at Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 29, 1896.

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

Thomas Conrad Porter, botanist, was born in Alexandria, Pa., Jan. 22, 1822; son of John and Maria (Buchu) Porter; grandson of Thomas and Jean (Montgomery) Porter and of John C. and Hannah (Mitinger) Buchu, and a descendant of the Rev. John Conrad Buchu, D.D., of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and of Capt. Jacob Mitinger of the American army of the Revolution. He was graduated from Lafayette college in 1840 and from the Princeton Theological seminary in 1843. He was licensed to preach in 1844; was stated supply of a Presbyterian church at Monticello, Ga., 1846-47; was ordained by the classis of Lebanon, Nov. 14, 1848, and was pastor of the 2d German Reformed church, Reading, Pa., 1848-49. He was married, Dec. 25, 1850, to Susan, daughter of John and Katherine Kunkel, of Harrisburg, Pa. He was professor of natural sciences at Marshall college, Mercersburg, Pa., 1849-53, and removed with the college to Lancaster, Pa., in 1853, when it consolidated with Franklin college. He was secretary of the board of trustees of Franklin and Marshall college, 1853-66; professor of botany, zo?logy and general geology at Lafayette, 1866-91; pastor of the Third Street Reformed church of Easton, Pa., 1877-84, and a member of the committee that framed the order of worship for the German Reformed church in the United States in 1867. He received the degree D.D. from Rutgers in 1865 and that of LL.D. from Franklin and Marshall in 1880. He was the founder and first president of Linn?an society of Lancaster county, Pa., a member or fellow of the leading scientific organizations of America, and is the author of: a translation of Herman and Dorothea (1854); Life of St. Augustine (1854); Life of Ulric Zwingli (1855); Flora of Colorado (1874); Flora in the United States (1892); Flora of Pennsylvania (19002); contributions to Dr. Philip Schaff's Christian Song (1868), besides various verses, essays, articles in reviews and contributions to U.S. government botanical reports in Hayden and Wheeler's surveys. He died in Easton, Pa., April 27, 1901.

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