George Douglas McNeill

 

George Douglas McNeill, the author of the provided text, was born on a farm in Buckeye, West Virginia, on May 22, 1877. He was the only child of Capt. James M. and Fannie Perkins McNeill.

McNeill's education and career included:

• Early Education: He attended a one-room school in Buckeye, followed by the Academy in Hillsboro, West Virginia.
• Teaching Career: At the age of 17, McNeill began teaching at a school near Droop Church, and the following year he taught at the home school in Buckeye.
• Business Education: He graduated from Draughton’s Business College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1897 and then taught at Draughton’s College in Texarkana, Texas.
• Railroad Clerk: He worked as a clerk for the M.K. & T. Railway in So. McAllester, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
• Government Clerk and Law Degrees: After returning home and teaching for two years (1899-1900), he went to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a government clerk and earned L.L.B. and LL.M. degrees from the National University Law School.
• Legal Practice: In 1908, he married Grace McNeill and started his law practice in Marlinton. He was also elected Prosecuting Attorney of Pocahontas County in 1904, serving for two years.
• Naval Service: McNeill joined the U.S. Navy in 1906, serving as a yeoman in charge of stores on the U.S.S. Glacier, a supply ship for the Atlantic Fleet.
• Round-the-World Cruise: He participated in the "peace cruise" around the world, during which the U.S. fleet traveled to the Pacific. During a stop in Brooklyn, McNeill was chosen by the enlisted men to present a silver loving cup to Helen Miller Gould.
• Return to Teaching: After leaving the Navy, he briefly worked as a bookkeeper in Washington state before returning to Buckeye, following a slight stroke. He then took over as principal of the two-room school at Buckeye when the principal died.
• Further Education and Advancement in Education: He earned an A.B. degree from Concord College and an A.M. from Miami University of Ohio, and later an honorary LL.D. from Davis and Elkins. He also served as principal of Marlinton Grade School, County Superintendent of Schools, and principal of Marlinton High School. He served as principal for 18 years in the Edray and Huntersville Districts.
• Later Life and Retirement: McNeill retired in 1941 under the new Retirement Law and taught at Davis and Elkins College for 12 years. After breaking a hip in 1953, he retired to his home on the farm near Buckeye, where he lived with his wife and son, James, and family.
• Family: He had other children, including Ward K. of Columbus, Ohio, and Mrs. Louise Pease and Mrs. C. P. Dorsey, both of Morgantown. His daughters were part-time teachers at West Virginia University.

McNeill's interest in local history is evident in the text, which was originally written in 1958 with pen and ink. The articles were reprinted from The Marlinton (W. Va.) Journal, with editing by Paul W. Haddock. McNeill was known for sharing tales of his travels with his students. The name "George" came from General George Patton, and the name "Douglas" came from Stephen A. Douglas.