Biographical Sketch of James Pyle WICKERSHAM, (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county", by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1893, pp. 193-194. "James Pyle Wickersham, LL.D., one of the leading educators of the United States, was a son of Caleb Wickersham, and was born in Newlin township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, March 5, 1825. The Wickersham family is a branch of the old Wickersham family of Bolney parish, England, from which Thomas Wickersham came to Marlborough township, where he bought a thousand acre tract of land. Fifth is descent from his was Caleb Wickersham (father), who married a Miss Pyle, of Quaker faith. "James Wickersham's education was obtained mainly in common schools and at the Unionville academy. At the age of sixteen he began to teach school, and while he taught he worked harder than any of his pupils, and by the time he was twenty he had become a good general scholar; being well versed in mathematics and in some of the natural sciences, and reading with facility several of the ancient and modern languages. "As a teacher, Mr. Wickersham's success was marked from the beginning. The common schools he taught were considered among the very best. In 1845 he became principal of the Marietta academy, Lancaster county, in which position he was very successful, and remained ten years. Upon the establishment of the office he was elected county superintendent of schools in the county where he lived, and a year thereafter founded the Normal institute, at Millersville, out of which eventually developed the first State Normal school in Pennsylvania, and in fact, the whole normal school system. In 1856 he became the permanent principal of this school, and made it, in the ten years he remained at its head, one of the most flourishing institutions in the county, running the number of students in attendance up to a thousand. In 1866 he accepted the position of State superintendent of common schools, and served until 1881. During his administration Pennsylvania made great progress in her school affairs, and became the acknowledged peer in this respect of any State in the Union. The educational exhibition made under his direction at the Centennial was unequaled by that of any other State or nation. While serving as State superintendent he was repeatedly offered important and honorable educational positions in other States, but always declined to accept them. "During President Arthur's administration Dr. Wickersham served as minister to Denmark, and after his return to the United States, was actively engaged in educational work until his death, which occurred at Lancaster, this State, March 25, 1891, at sixty-six years of age. In 1863 he commanded an emergency regiment during the Gettysburg campaign. He served twice as president of the National association of teachers, and was the author of three valuable educational works, two of which - School Economy and Methods of Teaching - are of world-wide reputation."