BIOGRAPHY: Hon. Edward T. McNEELIS, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 168
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HON. EDWARD T. McNEELIS, the well-known and popular attorney-at-law, of 
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is a son of Edward and Annie (McCole) McNeelis, and was 
born April 23, 1863, in Johnstown.
     The father of our subject was a native of Ireland, was born January 28, 
1826, and emigrated to America in 1851. He at first located at Tyrone, 
Pennsylvania, but in 1855 he came to Johnstown, and entered the employ of the 
Cambria Iron company, and remained in their employ until his death, which 
occurred October 4, 1892.
     Our subject received his early education in the schools of Millville 
borough, then a suburb of Johnstown; but at an early age went to work in the 
mills, where he was employed as a laborer until 1881, when he entered the 
machine shop as an apprentice and learned the trade of machinist. He was 
ambitious and eager to accept all chances for self-improvement, and while out of 
other employment for a short time in 1887, he improved the time by attending a 
term of school, at the Indiana State Normal school.
     He was employed as a machinist by the Cambria and the Johnson company mills 
until February, 1887, when he went to the Normal school, as above noted, after 
which he began the study of law with the late District Attorney H. G. Rose. He 
was admitted to the bar of Cambria county, September 5, 1889, and opened an 
office in Johnstown, where he has practiced his profession ever since.
     In October, 1893, he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of 
Pennsylvania. 
     In politics Mr. McNeelis has been a staunch democrat, and frequently 
advocates the doctrines of his party from the rostrum. In 1890 he was elected a 
member of the State legislature, and proved an active and influential 
legislator. He was renominated for the succeeding term, but subsequently 
declined the nomination. Since then he has devoted himself exclusively to the 
practice of his profession, and now has a large and growing practice.