History of Upshur County West Virginia United States of America

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John S. W. Dean, clergyman, was born in Upshur county, Va., March 7, 1848; son of Marshall and Louisa (Kesling) Dean; grandson of John Dean and of James Kesling, and of English, Irish and German ancestry. He joined the Union army as a member of the 8d West Virginia cavalry in 1864 and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. He was graduated at the West Virginia university in 1874; was professor of Latin and history in the State college of Pennsylvania, 1874-79, and a member of the Central Pennsylvania conference from 1874. He took a post-graduate course at Boston university, 1879-82, and travelled and studied in Europe, 1882-83. He was elected a representative from Upshur county to the West Virginia legislature in 1884; was stationed at the Tabernacle M.E. church, Detroit, Mich., 1885; joined the Nebraska conference in 1886 and held various appointments. In 1899 he was stationed at Falls City, Neb. He was an early advocate of co-education and secured the opening of the West Virginia university to women. He also joined in the crusade against the saloons and in practical temperance work. He was a trustee of the Nebraska Wesleyan university. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Indiana Asbury university in 1877; the degree of S.T.B. and Ph.D. from Boston university in 1882, and that of D.D. from the University of West Virginia in 1894. He was married in June, 1886, to Grace Marple of Upshur county, West Virginia.

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

History of Upshur County West Virginia

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