Biographical Sketch of Prof. John Hunter WORRALL (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, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 251-2. "PROF. JOHN HUNTER WORRALL, the widely known educator, who early won deserved recognition in his chosen profession, has been connected with the educational interests of this county since 1856. He is a son of Frederick and Sarah (Hunter) Worrall, and was born near what is now Strafford, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, in the first half of the present century. "His grandfather, Elisha Worrall, was also a native of Delaware county, born near Middletown, where he was reared and passed most of his active and useful life. He was a farmer by vocation, and died near Strofferd, then called the Old Spread Eagle, at an advanced age. "Frederick Worrall (father) was born near Concord, Delaware county, and spent his life in agricultural pursuits. He was a federalist and whig in politics, and married Sarah Hunter, a daughter of James Hunter, of Dela- ware county. By this union he had a family of five children, four sons and one daughter: Elisha, a farmer, who removed to Montgomery county, where he died in October, 1890; William, a miller by occupation, who died near Collegeville, Montgomery county; Joseph L., whose residence is in the city of Philadelphia; Martha Ann, married Caleb B. Ring, a farmer of Chadd's Ford, this county; and John Hunter, the subject of this sketch. Frederick Worrall died near the Old Spread Eagle hotel in Delaware county, in April, 1847, aged sixty-eight years. "John Hunter Worrall began his studies at Dr. Rollins' private school in Newtown township, Chester county, and later entered a like institution under the management of Thomas Connard, in Philadelphia, where he remained for two years. he then went to New Haven, Connecticut, and, under the in- struction of Edward Umstead, prepared to enter Yale college, from which institution he was graduated with honors in the class of 1856. He immedi- ately came to West Chester, this county, where he began teaching in the West Chester academy, and remained three years. Returning to New Haven at the end of that time, he entered on a post-graduate course, which occupied nearly three years, and from which he was graduated with the degree of Ph. D. Professor Worrall then returned to West Chester and filled the chair of mathematics in the Pennsylvania Military academy for a period of two years. In 1864 he again became connected with the West Chester acad- emy, and, in connection with Eugene Pauline, conduced that institution until 1870, when the trustees sold the property, and added the fund de- rived from its sale to the appropriation made by the State, erected the West Chester Normal school building. Professor Worrall was then called to the chair of mathematics in the Normal school, but after one year in that position he retired and organized Worrall's Classical and Mathematical academy at West Chester, which he continued until the autumn of 1891, when failing health compelled him to relinquish its care. He still gives less- ons in his rooms to a limited number of pupils, and many of the successful young business and professional men of this county have been prepared for the active duties of life under his care and instruction. "Professor Worrall is a leading member of the Episcopal church, in which he served as vestryman for a period of fifteen years, and as accounting warden for more than a decade. The mental equipments with which he began active life were indicated in the fact that in his freshman year he took first prize in his class in mathematics, and emphasized this triumph by repeating it in the sophomore year. He also received the gold medal on graduation for work done and high standing in mathematics. These early promises received ample fulfillment in the active career of Professor Worrall, who soon became widely known for his scholastic attainments and greatly valued for his unusual merit as a teacher. He takes rank with the best and most popular educators in this part of Pennsylvania, and notwith- standing his recognized ability - rather, perhaps on account of it - he is modest and unassuming in deportment. His popularity is co-extensive with his acquaintance, and is founded no less on his admirable qualities as a man than on his brilliant acquirements as an educator."