HARRISON COUNTY, WV: Bios - Irvin Oda Ash ******************************************************************* USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ******************************************************************* Submitted by Valerie Crook The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 15 Harrison County IRVIN ODA ASH. Talent and natural qualification for the work of teaching the young recruited Irvin Oda Ash into educational ranks at an early age, and though he is still a young man he has every reason, aside from the financial one which can never be a strong motive in the teacher's career, to remain steadfast in his devotion to perhaps the greatest service the individual can give to his generation. Mr. Ash, who is superintendent of schools at Shinnston in Harrison County, was born near Middlebourne, Tyier County, West Virginia, March 8, 1887, and spent his early life on a farm. He is a son of Daniel Wesley and Rebecca (Woodburn) Ash, who were also natives of Tyler County. His father was a farmer, had a record as a Union soldier in the war, and died at the early age of forty-three, in 1888, when his son Irvin was an infant. The widowed mother is still living, and she made many sacrifices to properly rear her three children to mature years. These children are: Otto D., Alice M. and Irvin Oda. Irvin Oda Ash acquired his early education in public schools, and taught his first term of school at the age of seventeen. His work continued in the rural schools for one or more terms each year until he had completed a service of five years. >From what he had been able to earn and save from rural school teaching he continued his own education to higher levels. His high school education was acquired in his native county. From 1910 to 1914 he was a student in West Vir- ginia University, from which he received his A. B. degree in 1914. He put in every vacation in some work that would replete his meager purse. After graduating he taught in the High School at Middlebourne two years, 1914-16, and he then entered the University of Nebraska, where he won his Master of Arts degree in 1917. He also profited by another year o post graduate study in the University of California. On returning to his home state Mr. Ash was principal of the Clay County High School, 1918-19, and was superintending prin- cipal of the schools of St. Mary's in 1919-21. Mr. Ash assumed his duties as superintendent of the schools at Shinnston in the fall of 1921. He is a member of the West Virginia State Educational Association and of the National Educational Association. In 1916 he married Miss Nettie Bailey Lanham, a native of Ritchie County. She was reared in Tyler County, and for several years was a teacher in the public schools there, and is actively associated with her husband as a teacher in the Shinnston schools. *********************************************************************