Biographical Sketch of Edwin Forrest GLENN; Philadelphia Co., PA

Contributed to the PAGenWeb Archives by Diana Smith 
[christillavalley@comcast.net] 

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"Philadelphia, A History of the City and its People; A Record of 225 Years"
Publisher:  S. H. Clark; Philadelphia; 1912.     Vol. 3  , page 68
Author, Ellis Paxson Oberholtzer
 
EDWIN FORREST GLENN

     Edwin Forrest Glenn, in whose life the practice of law and the work of the 
church have long been dominating interests, was born December 1, 1850, in 
Philadelphia, a son of Colonel John F. Glenn, also a native of this city and a 
veteran of the Civil war.  In days of peace the father's attention was devoted 
to manufacturing and contracting up to the time of his death, which occurred 
January 7, 1905, when he was seventy-six years of age.  In early manhood he had 
responded to the country's call for the military aid following the outbreak of 
hostilities with Mexico, and again his patriotic spirit was aroused when the 
south attempted to overthrow the Union.  His martial spirit was awakened by Fort 
Sumter's guns and he went to the front as a captain of the Twenty-third 
Pennsylvania Infantry under command of  General Birney.  Subsequently he was 
promoted to the rank of major, afterward to lieutenant colonel and returned home 
as colonel of the regiment.  His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elenora 
Forebaugh, was also a native of Philadelphia, a representative of one of the old 
families of the city, and died in May, 1910, at the age of seventy-eight years.  
The Glenn family has long been connected with Pennsylvania, the great-
grandfather of Edwin F. Glenn having been a native of Chester county.  In the 
family of Colonel and Mrs. John F. Glenn were ten children, of whom five are yet 
living, the youngest brother, James H. Glenn, being now general agent for the 
Mutual Benefit Company of Newark, New Jersey, the largest concern of the kind in 
the country.

     In the public schools Edwin F. Glenn pursued his education to the age of 
sixteen years, when he left the high school to enter the law office of George W. 
Dedrick, with whom he remained for three years, studying conveyancing, after 
which he took up the study of law in the office of George S. Graham and was 
admitted to the bar in January, 1878.  He began practice alone and on the 1st of 
January, 1880, when Mr. Graham became district attorney, Mr. Glenn became his 
partner in his private practice.  He has confined his attention principally to 
corporation law and to practice in the orphans court but now gives his time and 
attention entirely to office practice, very seldom going into court.  He is 
regarded as a safe counselor, having comprehensive knowledge of the principles 
of jurisprudence and of the limitations of statutory law.  For fifteen years he 
was assistant city solicitor in charge of the conveyancing department of the law 
bureau but resigned in January, 1899, to devote his attention entirely to his 
private practice.

     Mr. Glenn's leisure time, outside of business hours, has for many years 
been largely devoted to church work.  He has long served as a trustee of the 
Olivet Presbyterian church and has been one of its elders for the past fifteen 
years.  He has also been identified with its Sunday school work for an extended 
period and has served as superintendent at various times, filling the position 
at the present writing, in 1911.  He is a thorough believer in the early 
training of the youth, knowing that the lessons early impressed upon youthful 
minds usually bear fruit in later years.  He belongs to the Presbyterian Social 
Union, of which he has served as vice president, and he is also president of the 
Men's Association of the Olivet Presbyterian church.  In fact all of the various 
departments of church work receive his indorsement and in as far as possible he 
gives thereto active and helpful cooperation.  His political views indorse 
republican principles, yet he is not an active worker in political ranks.  He 
belongs to the masonic fraternity and to the Law Association of Philadelphia.

     On Christmas day of 1873, in this city, Mr. Glenn was married to Rebecca 
Campbell Marshall, a daughter of William Marshall, of Philadelphia, and of 
Scotch-Irish descent.  They have three living children:  Anna E. G., the wife of 
Dr. J. Bird Moyer, a well known chemist of Philadelphia; Solomon F., associated 
with his father in the practice of law; and John F., who is a bank clerk.  The 
family residence is at No. 319 North Thirty-fourth street and the members of the 
household are prominent in the social circles of the community where true worth 
and intelligence are received as passports into good society.

     Mr. Glenn has ever been a thoughtful student of the signs of the times and 
of the important problems which are engaging the attention of the country, and 
his influence has ever been on the side of justice, progress, truth and right.  
He believes that upon each individual involves obligations toward sustaining the 
legal and moral stability of the community, and his position concerning 
questions of vital importance has never been an equivocal one.