History of Lexington, (Lexington (city) County) Virginia United States of America

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Biographies:

John Lyle Campbell, chemist, was born in Rockbridge county, Va., Dec. 7, 1818; brother of Alexander Paxton Campbell. His grandfather, Alexander Campbell, was one of the trustees of Liberty hall academy, from 1782 to 1807. John Lyle was graduated from Washington college in 1843, and taught school first in Staunton, Va., and later in Richmond, Ky. From 1851 to 1886 he was professor of chemistry and geology in Washington and Lee university, which institution conferred on him the degree of LL. D. He made exhaustive researches in geology, especially of the Appalachian mountain region. From 1870 to 1882 he was superintendent of schools for Rockbridge county. He was a frequent contributor to various scientific journals, and published among other works, A Manual of Scientific and Practical Agriculture for the School and Farm (1859); Geology and Mineral Resources of the James River Valley, Virginia (1882); and with Dr. W. H. Ruffner, A Physical Survey in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi along the Line of the Georgia Pacific Railway (1883). He died at Lexington, Va., Feb. 2, 1886.

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

John Randolph Tucker, representative, was born in Winchester, Va., Dec. 24, 1823; son of Henry St. George and Evelina (Hunter) Tucker. He attended a private school and Richmond academy; was graduated from the University of Virginia, B.S., 1844; admitted to the bar, 1845, and commenced practice in Richmond, soon afterward returning to Winchester. He was married, Oct. 5, 1848, to Laura, daughter of Humphrey B. and Ann (Holmes) Powell of Loudoun county, Va. He was a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1852 and 1856; was elected attorney-general of Virginia in May, 1857, and remained in office until 1865, after which he resumed the practice of law. He was professor of equity and public law in Washington college (Washington and Lee university), 1870-75, and lecturer on constitutional law, 1875-88, and was a Democratic representative from the tenth Virginia district in the 44th-50th congresses, serving from 1875-87, when he resigned and practised law in Washington, D.C., until 1889. While in congress, he was for one year chairman of the ways and means committee, and in the 48th and 49th congresses served as chairman of the judiciary committee. He resumed his professorship of constitutional and international law in Washington and Lee university, and was subsequently appointed dean of the Law school, which positions he held until his death, when he was succeeded by his son, Henry St. George Tucker . He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from William and Mary college, 1875; from Yale, 1877; Harvard, 1891, and Union, 1895. He was president of the American Bar association and is the author of several famous speeches, notably those on the Hawaiian treaty, 1876, the use of the army at the polls, 1879, and the Chinese immigration, 1883. His addresses include one before the Social Science association, 1887, and one before the Yale Law school in the same year. His congressional report on the "Treaty making power" was extensively quoted. He died in Lexington, Va., Feb. 13, 1897.

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

John Thomas Lewis Preston, educator, was born in Lexington, Va., April 25, 1811; son of Thomas Lewis and Edmonia (Randolph) Preston; grandson of Col. William (1729-1783) and Susanna (Smith) Preston of Smithfield, and great-grandson of John Preston, the immigrant. His father was a major in the war of 1812, lawyer, and member of the Virginia legislature. In 1836 Mr. Preston conceived the idea of substituting for the company of soldiers who guarded the arsenal, a company of cadets, who, in addition to the duties of an armed guard, should pursue a course of scientific and military studies. This idea materialized, March, 1839, in the Military Institute of Virginia, of which Preston and Gert. Francis H. Smith constituted the entire faculty from 1839 to 1842. He was married first Aug. 2, 1832, to Sara Lyle, daughter of William and Phebe (Alexander) Caruthers of Lexington, Va., and had five sons and three daughters; and secondly, Aug. 4, 1857, to Margaret Junkin, the poet , by whom he had two sons. In April, 1861, at the call of the state, the corps of cadets marched for Richmond under the command of Maj. T. J. Jackson, of whose staff Preston became a member, with the rank of colonel. In 1862 the institute was re-opened as a training school to supply skilled and educated officers for the army, the cadets being called repeatedly into active service during the war. On May 15, 1864, at New Market, the corps lest 8 killed and 44 wounded out of 250, and on June 11, 1864, all the institution buildings, save the quarters of the superintendent, were burned by order of Gert. David Hunter . When the institute was re-opened in October, 1865, Colonel Preston resumed his professorial duties, subsequently traveled abroad, accompanied by his wife, and after his return continued a member of the university faculty until within a few months of his death. He is the author of a biographical sketch of John Howe Peyton in "Augusta County, Va." He died in Lexington, Va., July 15, 1890.

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