As the River Clyde leaves the southern uplands, it turns East for a time below Tinto Hill and then makes a u-turn heading toward Lanark under the Hyndford bridge. The river then throws itself into a steep-sided gorge for about a mile and a half. Using the power of the Clyde an “English- man helped a Glaswegian lay the foundation for an industrial bonanza which awaited the development of Lanarkshire’s most beautiful and spectacular location.”
Seeing the huge potential of the rushing water, Robert Arkwright, together with Glasgow banker David Dale, purchased the land along the Clyde. Here, they built the largest cotton mills in Britain and began the “greatest single industrial adventure Scotland had ever witnessed.”
Within two years Arkwright had departed and David Dale was left alone to finish the project. He erected the cotton mills, built dye-works and workshops. In addition, he built a school, shops and accommodations, so that a real community could develop. Wages were low, but the benefits for the community were greater than those normally given. Workers could buy food, clothing and other articles at cost from the company store. Children were encouraged to attend local schools and free medical services were provided. Housing was also available at a modest cost and garden space was near.
Many of the “shattered Highlanders, victims of the Clearances” made their way to New Lanark seeking employment. But, the work was best suited for the young. Dale needed “quick, supple and nimble fingers” to do his work. “Many orphans found desperation converted to hope and future security solely as a consequence of their inclusion in this 18th century Clydesdale revolution.” They worked 13 hours a day at the mill, with a half hour off for breakfast and three quarters of an hour for the noon meal. In 1810 the work time was reduced to 12 hours. David Dale was treated as a hero and was very popular with his employees.
Unlike many factories across Britain this was not a sweat-shop. Workers were paid fairly for their labor. David Dale was a kind man. “He strove not only to manufacture a quality end product but also to bond his 1200 strong community and create a kindred spirit among them. Undoubtedly, he succeeded in doing just that.”
Gradually Robert Owen changed his ideas about man in society. He sought to secure shorter working hours and better working conditions through legislation in Parliament. These efforts proved largely fruitless and over time he became convinced that society itself was in need of drastic change. He concluded that marriage, the church, and the institution of private property were roadblocks to the establishment of a new society. He believed that man’s character was determined by him through his environment, not by personal endeavors alone.
Robert Owen met many of America’s leaders as he began the process of building his new society. At New York, Philadelphia and Washington he had discussions with important leaders in business, culture and politics. He met with Presidents James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Gen. Andrew Jackson. He spoke twice to the House of Representatives in Washington D.C.
Soon, Robert Owen would buy an entire village and call it New Harmony, Indiana. It cost $125,000, had approximately 180 structures and included 30,000 acres of land. It is important to note that Owen invested his own money in the purchase of New Harmony, Indiana.
The community failed in less than 3 years and Robert Owen returned to Scotland on May 1,1827.
In the mid-20th century, the cotton industry was in steep decline as artificial textiles became popular. In 1967, no buyer could be found for the derelict buildings and so New Lanark died. Conservationists began to work at saving and restoring the buildings. “Now it is once again a thriving community, where heritage and private accommodations happily cohabit and to which thousands travel each year to enjoy and wonder at the reinstatement of one of Scotland’s greatest ever industrial and social miracles.”
They still celebrate their Scottish heritage each year on August 2. There is much more to the story and I hope this article will interests some of you to do more research. It would make a great trip for the History Club but would require an overnight stay.
(Information for this article were taken liberally from two books: Scottish Enterprises, Millennium Images of Scotland by Donald Ford and New Harmony, Indiana: Robert Owen’s Seedbed for Utopia by Donald F. Carmony and Josephine H. Elliott)
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630.629.4516
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
11-11-11
Next year, 2014, will mark the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of World War I. It lasted four terrible years and was declared to be “The War To end all Wars.” It was a brutal war. At the Battle of the Somme (1916) in just 20 minutes, 20,000 British troops died. America did not join the war until 1917 but still had more than 100,000 soldiers die in the fighting.
It came to an end on November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m. Countries around the world still observe the exact moment with marked silence. The President usually attends a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery. Many years ago when I was in school, we observed Armistice Day with a minute of silence at 11 a.m. I doubt that practice continues but I don’t know for sure. In our country, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to honor all of those who died in the line of duty. While I want veterans honored, I still like the term “Armistice Day.”
John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and was the grandson of Scottish immigrants. He was first and foremost a soldier and during the Second Boar War, he served in the artillery. By profession he was a physician. When the war started he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force although by profession and age (41) he could have joined the medical corps. He grew up believing in the duty of fighting for his country and empire.
McCrae fought in the second battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium, The Canadian position became the first to be attacked by chlorine gas in 1915. In spite of this, the Germans were unable to break through the Canadian line which held for more than two weeks. McCrae wrote to his mother that the battle was a “nightmare.” “For 17 days and 17 nights none of us have had our clothes off, not even our boots, except occasionally. In all that time while I was awake, gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for 60 seconds... And behind it all was the constant background of the sights of the dead, the wounded, the maimed, and a terrible anxiety lest the line should give way.” Six thousand Canadian soldiers died in the Battle of Ypres, among them Alexis Helmer, a close friend.
John McCrae was so deeply touched by the losses in France that he became a bitter and disillusioned man. For relief, he took long rides on his horse, Bonfire, perhaps accompanied by his dog, Bonneau. On January 18, 1918, he became ill and died of pneumonia and meningitis. The day of his funeral was a beautiful day as he was being buried in Wimereux Cemetery not far from the fields of Flanders.
Every evening in Ypres, France at 8 p.m. the local police stop traffic from passing underneath the gate, and the Last Post is played by buglers from the Ypres fire station. The Last Post has been played every night in this way since the 1920s save only for the duration of the German occupation during World War II.
The Kansas City Star wrote this tribute to Lieut. Col. John McCrae: “Lieut. McCrae has been laid to rest between the crosses that mark the couch of Canada’s immortal dead who have fought on foreign soil. He went out as a physician to heal the scars of war, but he sleeps as a soldier within sound of the guns, having given all that man may give for the honor and the liberty of his country.”
“His name will be remembered for generations to come as one who wrote across the scroll of fate in imperishable lines his own epitaph, a challenge to the patriotism and the manhood of the Canadian nation, which will be recited around the firesides of Canada as long as the memory of those inspiring days remain green. With the gallant dead he, too, listens to the guns, hears the lark bravely singing in the azure sky, and waits for the Dawn, where” -
In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
that mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.
Loved, and were loved, and now we live
In Flanders field.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders field.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
November 2, 2014 - The Scottish American History Club will hold its final meeting of the year. Our speaker is Jim Sim who will give the history of pipe bands in Chicago. Jim has spent a lifetime playing in Chicago pipe bands and is well qualified to make this presentation.
It came to an end on November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m. Countries around the world still observe the exact moment with marked silence. The President usually attends a wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery. Many years ago when I was in school, we observed Armistice Day with a minute of silence at 11 a.m. I doubt that practice continues but I don’t know for sure. In our country, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to honor all of those who died in the line of duty. While I want veterans honored, I still like the term “Armistice Day.”
John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and was the grandson of Scottish immigrants. He was first and foremost a soldier and during the Second Boar War, he served in the artillery. By profession he was a physician. When the war started he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force although by profession and age (41) he could have joined the medical corps. He grew up believing in the duty of fighting for his country and empire.
McCrae fought in the second battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium, The Canadian position became the first to be attacked by chlorine gas in 1915. In spite of this, the Germans were unable to break through the Canadian line which held for more than two weeks. McCrae wrote to his mother that the battle was a “nightmare.” “For 17 days and 17 nights none of us have had our clothes off, not even our boots, except occasionally. In all that time while I was awake, gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for 60 seconds... And behind it all was the constant background of the sights of the dead, the wounded, the maimed, and a terrible anxiety lest the line should give way.” Six thousand Canadian soldiers died in the Battle of Ypres, among them Alexis Helmer, a close friend.
John McCrae was so deeply touched by the losses in France that he became a bitter and disillusioned man. For relief, he took long rides on his horse, Bonfire, perhaps accompanied by his dog, Bonneau. On January 18, 1918, he became ill and died of pneumonia and meningitis. The day of his funeral was a beautiful day as he was being buried in Wimereux Cemetery not far from the fields of Flanders.
Every evening in Ypres, France at 8 p.m. the local police stop traffic from passing underneath the gate, and the Last Post is played by buglers from the Ypres fire station. The Last Post has been played every night in this way since the 1920s save only for the duration of the German occupation during World War II.
The Kansas City Star wrote this tribute to Lieut. Col. John McCrae: “Lieut. McCrae has been laid to rest between the crosses that mark the couch of Canada’s immortal dead who have fought on foreign soil. He went out as a physician to heal the scars of war, but he sleeps as a soldier within sound of the guns, having given all that man may give for the honor and the liberty of his country.”
“His name will be remembered for generations to come as one who wrote across the scroll of fate in imperishable lines his own epitaph, a challenge to the patriotism and the manhood of the Canadian nation, which will be recited around the firesides of Canada as long as the memory of those inspiring days remain green. With the gallant dead he, too, listens to the guns, hears the lark bravely singing in the azure sky, and waits for the Dawn, where” -
In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
that mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.
Loved, and were loved, and now we live
In Flanders field.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders field.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
November 2, 2014 - The Scottish American History Club will hold its final meeting of the year. Our speaker is Jim Sim who will give the history of pipe bands in Chicago. Jim has spent a lifetime playing in Chicago pipe bands and is well qualified to make this presentation.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Two MacArthurs and a Mitchell
Arthur MacArthur (1845-1912)
The life of Arthur MacArthur is overshadowed by the brilliant career of his son Douglas, Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in the Pacific during World War II. However, father Arthur’s career is nearly as remarkable if not nearly so flamboyant.
Arthur MacArthur was born June 2, 1845, in Springfield, Massachusetts. His father came to Massachusetts with his widowed mother from Scotland in 1825. His father was a distinguished lawyer and federal judge. At age 17, Arthur was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 24th Wisconsin Infantry at the outbreak of the Civil War. He saw action in several campaigns and was mentioned in dispatches for gallantry and meritorious service. At age 20, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. McArthur was cited for bravery at the battle of Missionary Ridge and was given the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
For the next 20 years, he was stationed in the West and Southwest where he took part in several Indian campaigns. When the Spanish-American war broke out, he was appointed general and assigned to the Philippine Islands. He was later commissioned a major general and appointed military governor of the Philippines.
In 1906 he was made an assistant Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army with the rank of Lieutenant General. During the Russo-Japanese war (1905), he served as a special observer.
He retired from active service in 1909 and died in Milwaukee on September 5, 1912. Author Clayton James said, “few families in American history have produced more capable leaders in three successive generations than the MacArthurs.”
WILLIAM “BILLY” MITCHELL (1879-1936)
The dominant figure in American aviation from 1919 until his court-martial in 1925 was Billy Mitchell. Revered by many as a martyr-patriot, he sharply criticized the military establishment for its refusal to recognize the importance of air power. The price Mitchell paid was high – a broken marriage, wrecked career, alienation of many of his peers, and a court martial that found him guilty of insubordination. He had accused the armed services of “criminal negligence.”
Mitchell was born December 29, 1879, in Nice, France, where his parents were visiting. At age 21 his grandfather, Alexander Mitchell, was a clerk in an Aberdeen bank when he decided to immigrate to Milwaukee in 1839. By shrewd investments in banks, railroads, and real estate, he became a multimillionaire.
Both Mitchell’s grandfather and his father John represented Wisconsin in the U.S. Congress. Billy was an outdoors type but finished high school at 15. He left college to enlist for service in the Spanish-American war. He liked the military, was commissioned in 1901, and became the youngest staff officer in 1912. Convinced of the potential of the airplane, he learned to fly and commanded an armada of 1,481 Allied planes in France in 1918.
After the war he preached the need for a powerful Air Force, setting up examples of warships attacked and sunk by airplanes. But he met resistance in postwar public disillusionment. He predicted the rise of the German Luftwaffe and warned of the Japanese threat.
He died in New York on February 19, 1936, and is buried in Milwaukee. Ironically, he didn’t live to see his views vindicated by World War II. In 1946 Congress honored him posthumously with a special Medal of Honor.
GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR (1880-1964)
Probably the most colorful and controversial of all the American military commanders in World War II was General Douglas MacArthur. Reeling from the sledgehammer blows dealt U.S. forces in the Pacific right after the Pearl Harbor attack, Douglas McArthur rallied his forces in Australia and led the long road back to Tokyo and Japanese surrender.
MacArthur traced his ancestry back to the Strathmore Valley in Scotland. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and reared in the military tradition. His father Arthur was a career officer. At 20, he commanded a division as a colonel in the Union forces in the Civil War. Douglas was graduated first in the class of 1903 at West Point. During World War I, he commanded the Rainbow Division. He was head of West Point (1919 – 22). In 1930 he became U.S. Army Chief of Staff and served five years. Mac Arthur retired December 31, 1937, but was recalled to service in the Philippines when tensions rose in the Pacific and the outbreak of war seemed imminent
When the Japanese struck, Gen. MacArthur’s forces were badly outnumbered and he was forced to retreat to Bataan and Corregidor from which he was rescued by submarine and taken to Australia to organize the assault on Japan. Five years later McArthur accepted the Japanese surrender and served as military governor of Japan for five years. During the Korean War, he became embroiled in controversy and President Truman forced him to resign his command in a dramatic confrontation
MacArthur made a memorable speech before Congress explaining and defending his policies. He retired to private life with the highest Army rank, General of the Army. He died April 5, 1964, in Washington.
NOTE: Arthur MacArthur, Billy Mitchell, and Douglas MacArthur are all members of the Scottish American Hall of Fame maintained by the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. The Hall of Fame is located in Heritage Hall at the Scottish Home in North Riverside, Illinois. The Hall of Fame was the work of James C. Thomson who died December 20, 1994. Mr. Thomson became a member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society in 1950 and served in every elected office culminating with his presidency in 1979. As a nation approached its Bicentennial, Mr. Thomson originated the idea of a Scottish American Hall of Fame, a prominent display of plaques bearing the biographical and likeness of notable Americans of Scottish descent. He was adamant in his belief that Scottish immigrants who came to America by way of Ulster, Ireland were in fact Presbyterian Scots. The Hall of Fame was his way of proclaiming to America, “look who we are and what we have accomplished.”
I had the privilege of visiting Mr. Thomson in Winter Haven, Florida, a few months before he died. His eyes still glowed with pride as we discussed the gifts of Scotland to the world. He died on December 20, 1994, and his funeral was directed by Dr. Roger M. Kunkel, pastor of the Riverside Presbyterian Church. It was my privilege to eulogize this self-made man from Scotland. There are 119 plaques in the Hall of Fame. The research and writing is the work of one man - a great writer and historian. He is missed by both family and friends.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
Upcoming Events:
Scottish American Leadership Conference, October 25. Go here for information and registration.
Scottish American History Club Meeting, November 2 - Jim Sim will present a history of Pipe Bands in Chicago at a meeting of the Scottish American History Club. The meeting will be held in Heritage Hall at the Scottish Home in North Riverside, IL. beginning at 10 a.m. The Museum and Hall of Fame will be open at 9 a.m.
The life of Arthur MacArthur is overshadowed by the brilliant career of his son Douglas, Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in the Pacific during World War II. However, father Arthur’s career is nearly as remarkable if not nearly so flamboyant.
Arthur MacArthur was born June 2, 1845, in Springfield, Massachusetts. His father came to Massachusetts with his widowed mother from Scotland in 1825. His father was a distinguished lawyer and federal judge. At age 17, Arthur was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 24th Wisconsin Infantry at the outbreak of the Civil War. He saw action in several campaigns and was mentioned in dispatches for gallantry and meritorious service. At age 20, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. McArthur was cited for bravery at the battle of Missionary Ridge and was given the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
For the next 20 years, he was stationed in the West and Southwest where he took part in several Indian campaigns. When the Spanish-American war broke out, he was appointed general and assigned to the Philippine Islands. He was later commissioned a major general and appointed military governor of the Philippines.
In 1906 he was made an assistant Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army with the rank of Lieutenant General. During the Russo-Japanese war (1905), he served as a special observer.
He retired from active service in 1909 and died in Milwaukee on September 5, 1912. Author Clayton James said, “few families in American history have produced more capable leaders in three successive generations than the MacArthurs.”
WILLIAM “BILLY” MITCHELL (1879-1936)
The dominant figure in American aviation from 1919 until his court-martial in 1925 was Billy Mitchell. Revered by many as a martyr-patriot, he sharply criticized the military establishment for its refusal to recognize the importance of air power. The price Mitchell paid was high – a broken marriage, wrecked career, alienation of many of his peers, and a court martial that found him guilty of insubordination. He had accused the armed services of “criminal negligence.”
Mitchell was born December 29, 1879, in Nice, France, where his parents were visiting. At age 21 his grandfather, Alexander Mitchell, was a clerk in an Aberdeen bank when he decided to immigrate to Milwaukee in 1839. By shrewd investments in banks, railroads, and real estate, he became a multimillionaire.
Both Mitchell’s grandfather and his father John represented Wisconsin in the U.S. Congress. Billy was an outdoors type but finished high school at 15. He left college to enlist for service in the Spanish-American war. He liked the military, was commissioned in 1901, and became the youngest staff officer in 1912. Convinced of the potential of the airplane, he learned to fly and commanded an armada of 1,481 Allied planes in France in 1918.
After the war he preached the need for a powerful Air Force, setting up examples of warships attacked and sunk by airplanes. But he met resistance in postwar public disillusionment. He predicted the rise of the German Luftwaffe and warned of the Japanese threat.
He died in New York on February 19, 1936, and is buried in Milwaukee. Ironically, he didn’t live to see his views vindicated by World War II. In 1946 Congress honored him posthumously with a special Medal of Honor.
GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR (1880-1964)
Probably the most colorful and controversial of all the American military commanders in World War II was General Douglas MacArthur. Reeling from the sledgehammer blows dealt U.S. forces in the Pacific right after the Pearl Harbor attack, Douglas McArthur rallied his forces in Australia and led the long road back to Tokyo and Japanese surrender.
MacArthur traced his ancestry back to the Strathmore Valley in Scotland. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and reared in the military tradition. His father Arthur was a career officer. At 20, he commanded a division as a colonel in the Union forces in the Civil War. Douglas was graduated first in the class of 1903 at West Point. During World War I, he commanded the Rainbow Division. He was head of West Point (1919 – 22). In 1930 he became U.S. Army Chief of Staff and served five years. Mac Arthur retired December 31, 1937, but was recalled to service in the Philippines when tensions rose in the Pacific and the outbreak of war seemed imminent
When the Japanese struck, Gen. MacArthur’s forces were badly outnumbered and he was forced to retreat to Bataan and Corregidor from which he was rescued by submarine and taken to Australia to organize the assault on Japan. Five years later McArthur accepted the Japanese surrender and served as military governor of Japan for five years. During the Korean War, he became embroiled in controversy and President Truman forced him to resign his command in a dramatic confrontation
MacArthur made a memorable speech before Congress explaining and defending his policies. He retired to private life with the highest Army rank, General of the Army. He died April 5, 1964, in Washington.
NOTE: Arthur MacArthur, Billy Mitchell, and Douglas MacArthur are all members of the Scottish American Hall of Fame maintained by the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. The Hall of Fame is located in Heritage Hall at the Scottish Home in North Riverside, Illinois. The Hall of Fame was the work of James C. Thomson who died December 20, 1994. Mr. Thomson became a member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society in 1950 and served in every elected office culminating with his presidency in 1979. As a nation approached its Bicentennial, Mr. Thomson originated the idea of a Scottish American Hall of Fame, a prominent display of plaques bearing the biographical and likeness of notable Americans of Scottish descent. He was adamant in his belief that Scottish immigrants who came to America by way of Ulster, Ireland were in fact Presbyterian Scots. The Hall of Fame was his way of proclaiming to America, “look who we are and what we have accomplished.”
I had the privilege of visiting Mr. Thomson in Winter Haven, Florida, a few months before he died. His eyes still glowed with pride as we discussed the gifts of Scotland to the world. He died on December 20, 1994, and his funeral was directed by Dr. Roger M. Kunkel, pastor of the Riverside Presbyterian Church. It was my privilege to eulogize this self-made man from Scotland. There are 119 plaques in the Hall of Fame. The research and writing is the work of one man - a great writer and historian. He is missed by both family and friends.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
Upcoming Events:
Scottish American Leadership Conference, October 25. Go here for information and registration.
Scottish American History Club Meeting, November 2 - Jim Sim will present a history of Pipe Bands in Chicago at a meeting of the Scottish American History Club. The meeting will be held in Heritage Hall at the Scottish Home in North Riverside, IL. beginning at 10 a.m. The Museum and Hall of Fame will be open at 9 a.m.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Robert Arthur Young
Arthur Young was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1863. His father was a merchant and shipbuilder. He attended the University of Glasgow graduating with a masters degree in 1883 and obtained a law degree in 1887. He was also very athletic and was the captain of the rugby team and played in intercity rugby matches for Glasgow.
“Young had plans to move to Edinburgh to practice law when he began exhibiting the first signs of deafness, a condition that would grow progressively worse. Heeding the advice of his doctor, who suggested that he find a less stressful profession, Young left Scotland. He spent some time in Switzerland and then traveled to the warmer climate of Algiers. There he met an American businessman, George Bennett, who encouraged him to immigrate to the United States. (Chicago Portraits, by June Skinner Sawyers, page.278.)
Arthur Young came to America in 1890, stopping for a while in New York City where he worked for a banking firm that was run by fellow Scots. (I don’t know the name.) Four years later he moved to Chicago and here he started an accounting firm with Charles W. Stuart. They opened a small office in the Monadnock Building. He became one of the first certified public accountants in Illinois. His brother Stanley was also involved, but I could find no information about Stanley Young.
In 1906, Arthur Young & Company was formed with offices in the Borland Building on LaSalle Street. “Since accounting was such a new profession in the United States, Young felt he had no alternative but to recruit accountants in Scotland.” (The Scots of Chicago, page 96)
The firm had a very impressive list of clients: Swift and Company, William Wrigley, Jr., Montgomery Ward and Company, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Rand McNally to name a few. In 1989, the Arthur Young company merged with Ernst and Whitney to form a Ernst & Young and & became the top–ranking firm in Chicago.
Arthur Young was very active in the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. He served on the board of governors and many of the old audited reports have “Arthur Young & Company” on the cover.
It has been very difficult to trace the life of Arthur Young given the resources I have available. I did find this on the Internet from Aiken County, South Carolina: “once the center of a cotton plantation that included more than 300 acres, Crossways is thought to have been built around 1815 by John E. Marley. In the 1890s it was the home of South Carolina Gov. John Gary Evans, and its balcony was the location of his inaugural speech in 1894. It was the winter home of Arthur Young, Scottish-born founder of the internationally renowned accounting firm from 1927 until his death in 1948. It is now a commercial property.”
His obituary was published in the Chicago Tribune, April 5, 1948 and was apparently copied from a New York paper: “Arthur Young, founder and senior partner of Arthur Young & Company, accountants and auditors, died yesterday at his winter residence in Aiken, S. C. He was 85. Born in Scotland, Young came to this country in 1890 after receiving master of arts and bachelor of laws degrees from Glasgow University. In 1894, he began the practice of public accounting in Chicago, in partnership with C. W. Stuart under the firm name of Stuart &Young. In 1908 the name was changed to Arthur Young & Co. A pioneer public accountant in Illinois, Young helped secure the passage in 1903 of that state’s first CPA law.”
Apparently Arthur Young never married. Perhaps, some of our readers can help fill in additional details.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
We get a lot of interesting emails. Here is one example:
Dear Mr. Rethford:
My name is Alan Nicholson. I have been doing genealogy research recently on the Scottish side of my family, and made a connection to Thomas Nicholson (1847-1920) who apparently was my 1st cousin, three times removed. I'm in the process of fleshing out my material, including getting obituaries, etc. I came across the website for the Scottish American History Club, which mentions Thomas, and thought I'd say "Hi". Perhaps luckily, I live in the San Francisco bay area, and the UC Berkeley Doe Library has most of the Chicago Trib on microfilm, so I can head over there to get research done.
Best -
Alan Nicholson
Thomas Nicholson owned the construction company that built the Scottish Home in 1910. (Another example of Scots working with Scots.) His picture is in the museum at the Scottish Home. You can see it by going to the History Club website (chicagoscots.net) and then click on museum. Then click on PastPerfect website and type in Thomas Nicholson.
“Young had plans to move to Edinburgh to practice law when he began exhibiting the first signs of deafness, a condition that would grow progressively worse. Heeding the advice of his doctor, who suggested that he find a less stressful profession, Young left Scotland. He spent some time in Switzerland and then traveled to the warmer climate of Algiers. There he met an American businessman, George Bennett, who encouraged him to immigrate to the United States. (Chicago Portraits, by June Skinner Sawyers, page.278.)
Arthur Young came to America in 1890, stopping for a while in New York City where he worked for a banking firm that was run by fellow Scots. (I don’t know the name.) Four years later he moved to Chicago and here he started an accounting firm with Charles W. Stuart. They opened a small office in the Monadnock Building. He became one of the first certified public accountants in Illinois. His brother Stanley was also involved, but I could find no information about Stanley Young.
In 1906, Arthur Young & Company was formed with offices in the Borland Building on LaSalle Street. “Since accounting was such a new profession in the United States, Young felt he had no alternative but to recruit accountants in Scotland.” (The Scots of Chicago, page 96)
The firm had a very impressive list of clients: Swift and Company, William Wrigley, Jr., Montgomery Ward and Company, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Rand McNally to name a few. In 1989, the Arthur Young company merged with Ernst and Whitney to form a Ernst & Young and & became the top–ranking firm in Chicago.
Arthur Young was very active in the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. He served on the board of governors and many of the old audited reports have “Arthur Young & Company” on the cover.
It has been very difficult to trace the life of Arthur Young given the resources I have available. I did find this on the Internet from Aiken County, South Carolina: “once the center of a cotton plantation that included more than 300 acres, Crossways is thought to have been built around 1815 by John E. Marley. In the 1890s it was the home of South Carolina Gov. John Gary Evans, and its balcony was the location of his inaugural speech in 1894. It was the winter home of Arthur Young, Scottish-born founder of the internationally renowned accounting firm from 1927 until his death in 1948. It is now a commercial property.”
His obituary was published in the Chicago Tribune, April 5, 1948 and was apparently copied from a New York paper: “Arthur Young, founder and senior partner of Arthur Young & Company, accountants and auditors, died yesterday at his winter residence in Aiken, S. C. He was 85. Born in Scotland, Young came to this country in 1890 after receiving master of arts and bachelor of laws degrees from Glasgow University. In 1894, he began the practice of public accounting in Chicago, in partnership with C. W. Stuart under the firm name of Stuart &Young. In 1908 the name was changed to Arthur Young & Co. A pioneer public accountant in Illinois, Young helped secure the passage in 1903 of that state’s first CPA law.”
Apparently Arthur Young never married. Perhaps, some of our readers can help fill in additional details.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
We get a lot of interesting emails. Here is one example:
Dear Mr. Rethford:
My name is Alan Nicholson. I have been doing genealogy research recently on the Scottish side of my family, and made a connection to Thomas Nicholson (1847-1920) who apparently was my 1st cousin, three times removed. I'm in the process of fleshing out my material, including getting obituaries, etc. I came across the website for the Scottish American History Club, which mentions Thomas, and thought I'd say "Hi". Perhaps luckily, I live in the San Francisco bay area, and the UC Berkeley Doe Library has most of the Chicago Trib on microfilm, so I can head over there to get research done.
Best -
Alan Nicholson
Thomas Nicholson owned the construction company that built the Scottish Home in 1910. (Another example of Scots working with Scots.) His picture is in the museum at the Scottish Home. You can see it by going to the History Club website (chicagoscots.net) and then click on museum. Then click on PastPerfect website and type in Thomas Nicholson.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Scottish-American History Club Announcements
October 5, 2013 - History Club Meeting
Our speaker will be Bruce Allardice, Professor of History at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. He has six books to his credit and numerous article on the Civil War. Professor Allardice is Past President of the Civil War Roundtable in Chicago and the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable. He will speak about the Scots of Chicago who fought in the war with a special emphasis on General John McArthur. His experience as an author and historian has led to numerous speaking engagements across the country.
November 2, 2013 - History Club Meeting
The program is not fully complete, please watch for future announcements.
December, 2013 - No Meeting
January 11, 2014 - History Club Meeting (Please note the change in dates)
Tina Beaird lives in Oswego, Illinois and is the Genealogy and Local History Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in Archives/Preservation from Dominican University. Tina is also Genealogist for the Illinois State Genealogical Society, an Oswego Heritage Association governing board member and an Oswego Historic Preservation Commissioner. At our January 11 meeting, she will speak on the “Scottish Diaspora - Migration Chains to Illinois.”
February 1, 2014 - 2:00 p.m. (Please note the time change)
Our speaker will be James M. Cornelius, PhD who is the Curator of the Lincoln Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Dr. Cornelius is a native of Minneapolis and graduated from Lawrence University and the University of Illinois. He has worked as an editor in New York City at Doubleday, Random House, and Collier’s Encyclopedia. He has written several books and dozens of articles and book reviews about architecture, baseball, and American British history.
Honor Flight:
On a personal note, I have been invited to take the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. on October 2. We check in at Midway airport at 4.15 a.m. As most of you already know this is a volunteer effort to show veterans of WWII their Memorial in the Nation’s Capital. (John LeNoble recently made the trip.) We will be returning home that same day on Southwest Airlines’ Flight 405 to Midway with a projected arrival time of 8:45 p.m. If you wish to join in the return celebrations, it will be held in Baggage Area 4. Everyone is welcome.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
Our speaker will be Bruce Allardice, Professor of History at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. He has six books to his credit and numerous article on the Civil War. Professor Allardice is Past President of the Civil War Roundtable in Chicago and the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable. He will speak about the Scots of Chicago who fought in the war with a special emphasis on General John McArthur. His experience as an author and historian has led to numerous speaking engagements across the country.
November 2, 2013 - History Club Meeting
The program is not fully complete, please watch for future announcements.
December, 2013 - No Meeting
January 11, 2014 - History Club Meeting (Please note the change in dates)
Tina Beaird lives in Oswego, Illinois and is the Genealogy and Local History Librarian at the Plainfield Public Library. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in Archives/Preservation from Dominican University. Tina is also Genealogist for the Illinois State Genealogical Society, an Oswego Heritage Association governing board member and an Oswego Historic Preservation Commissioner. At our January 11 meeting, she will speak on the “Scottish Diaspora - Migration Chains to Illinois.”
February 1, 2014 - 2:00 p.m. (Please note the time change)
Our speaker will be James M. Cornelius, PhD who is the Curator of the Lincoln Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Dr. Cornelius is a native of Minneapolis and graduated from Lawrence University and the University of Illinois. He has worked as an editor in New York City at Doubleday, Random House, and Collier’s Encyclopedia. He has written several books and dozens of articles and book reviews about architecture, baseball, and American British history.
Honor Flight:
On a personal note, I have been invited to take the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. on October 2. We check in at Midway airport at 4.15 a.m. As most of you already know this is a volunteer effort to show veterans of WWII their Memorial in the Nation’s Capital. (John LeNoble recently made the trip.) We will be returning home that same day on Southwest Airlines’ Flight 405 to Midway with a projected arrival time of 8:45 p.m. If you wish to join in the return celebrations, it will be held in Baggage Area 4. Everyone is welcome.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
Monday, September 23, 2013
A River Runs Through It
After enjoying a long and successful career as an English professor at the University of Chicago, Norman Maclean published his first book of short stories at the age of seventy-three. It proved to be a smashing debut. A River Run Through It and Other Stories sold than 160,000 copies, largely through word of mouth, even before the 1992 film version by Robert Redford had been considered. Born in Clarinda, Iowa, in 1902, Maclean grew up in Missoula, Montana. He was the William Rainey Harper Professor of English at the University of Chicago until his retirement in 1973.
Maclean’s father was a Presbyterian minister and a considerable influence on Norman’s life. He recalls his father’s origin;
“My father was all Scotch and came from Nova Scotia from a large family that was on poor land. His great belief was in all men being equal under God...My father loved America so much that, although he had a rather heavy Scottish burr when he came to this country, by the time I was born, it was all gone. He regarded it as his American duty to get rid of it. He despised Scotch Presbyterian ministers who went heavy on their Scotch burr. He put a terrific commitment on me to be an American. I, the eldest son, was expected to complete the job.”
“He told me I had to learn the American language. He spoke beautifully, but he didn’t have the American idioms. He kept me home until I was ten and a half to teach me. He taught me how to write American.”
Maclean, a member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society, later recalled his father’s practice of preaching two “fairly good sermons” on Sundays and baptizing, marrying, and burying “the local Americans of Scotch dissent on week days.”
(The above is taken from The Scots of Chicago written by Wayne Rethford and June Skinner Sawyers. Page 125)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Norman Maclean died on August 2, 1990. He died at home in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago after a long illness. He had taught at the University of Chicago for 45 years. On September 24, 1931, he had married Jessie Burns described as a “red-headed Scots-Irish woman from Wolf Creek, Montana.”
The obituary for Mrs. Jessie B. Maclean was published in the Chicago Tribune on December 10, 1968. She was 63 years old, lived at 1216 Madison Park and died in Billings Hospital. Mrs. Maclean had been the secretary of the University’s department of biochemistry and executive secretary of the school’s Medical Alumni Association. In 1967, she received the Association’s Golden key for distinguished service.
Norman was a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1924. He earned a doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1940 and was named the William Rainey Harper Professor of English Literature in 1962. He was awarded honorary degrees by Montana State University and the University of Montana.
He was survived by a son John; a daughter, Jean Maclean Snyder, and 4 grandchildren. I could not find where Norman Maclean and his wife were buried. Perhaps someone can help.
If you saw the movie, you know that his younger brother, Paul Davidson, was murdered. This occurred in Chicago on May 2, 1938, in the alley between Eberhart and Rhodes Avenue, just south of 62nd street. The murder was never solved. The police said, “he had battled fiercely with his assailants before being subdued.” Paul graduated from Dartmouth in 1928 and was a champion handball player. He was buried in the Missoula Cemetery, Missoula County, Montana, Block 58, Lot 4, grave 6.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
Upcoming Event:
October 5, 2013 - History Club Meeting
Our speaker will be Bruce Allardice, Professor of History at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. He has six books to his credit and numerous article on the Civil War. Professor Allardice is Past President of the Civil War Roundtable in Chicago and the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable. He will speak about the Scots of Chicago who fought in the war with a special emphasis on General John McArthur. Reservations (708-447-5092) are helpful but not necessary.
Maclean’s father was a Presbyterian minister and a considerable influence on Norman’s life. He recalls his father’s origin;
“My father was all Scotch and came from Nova Scotia from a large family that was on poor land. His great belief was in all men being equal under God...My father loved America so much that, although he had a rather heavy Scottish burr when he came to this country, by the time I was born, it was all gone. He regarded it as his American duty to get rid of it. He despised Scotch Presbyterian ministers who went heavy on their Scotch burr. He put a terrific commitment on me to be an American. I, the eldest son, was expected to complete the job.”
“He told me I had to learn the American language. He spoke beautifully, but he didn’t have the American idioms. He kept me home until I was ten and a half to teach me. He taught me how to write American.”
Maclean, a member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society, later recalled his father’s practice of preaching two “fairly good sermons” on Sundays and baptizing, marrying, and burying “the local Americans of Scotch dissent on week days.”
(The above is taken from The Scots of Chicago written by Wayne Rethford and June Skinner Sawyers. Page 125)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Norman Maclean died on August 2, 1990. He died at home in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago after a long illness. He had taught at the University of Chicago for 45 years. On September 24, 1931, he had married Jessie Burns described as a “red-headed Scots-Irish woman from Wolf Creek, Montana.”
The obituary for Mrs. Jessie B. Maclean was published in the Chicago Tribune on December 10, 1968. She was 63 years old, lived at 1216 Madison Park and died in Billings Hospital. Mrs. Maclean had been the secretary of the University’s department of biochemistry and executive secretary of the school’s Medical Alumni Association. In 1967, she received the Association’s Golden key for distinguished service.
Norman was a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1924. He earned a doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1940 and was named the William Rainey Harper Professor of English Literature in 1962. He was awarded honorary degrees by Montana State University and the University of Montana.
He was survived by a son John; a daughter, Jean Maclean Snyder, and 4 grandchildren. I could not find where Norman Maclean and his wife were buried. Perhaps someone can help.
If you saw the movie, you know that his younger brother, Paul Davidson, was murdered. This occurred in Chicago on May 2, 1938, in the alley between Eberhart and Rhodes Avenue, just south of 62nd street. The murder was never solved. The police said, “he had battled fiercely with his assailants before being subdued.” Paul graduated from Dartmouth in 1928 and was a champion handball player. He was buried in the Missoula Cemetery, Missoula County, Montana, Block 58, Lot 4, grave 6.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
Upcoming Event:
October 5, 2013 - History Club Meeting
Our speaker will be Bruce Allardice, Professor of History at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. He has six books to his credit and numerous article on the Civil War. Professor Allardice is Past President of the Civil War Roundtable in Chicago and the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable. He will speak about the Scots of Chicago who fought in the war with a special emphasis on General John McArthur. Reservations (708-447-5092) are helpful but not necessary.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Who is Like Us?
This information is taken from the newspaper Scotland on Sunday dated 1 April 2001. I contacted the paper for permission and they answered with one email but when I asked for more information they never answered. I thus assume they do not object to my using a summary of their material.
“Go anywhere and you will probably find a Scot, or a son of a Scot, or a daughter. The way Scottish people work, think, eat, socialize and play has helped shape the world. Nowhere is that more evident than in North America. From business leaders and scientists, to film stars and artist, we profile the Scots that matter – starting with the son of a Lewis lass who changed the Manhattan skyline, Donald Trump.”
DONALD TRUMP: His Mother, Mary MacLeod Trump, was brought up near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. She came to visit America for the first time at the age of 18. When she was older she was mugged in a shopping mall and its so traumatized her that she reverted to speaking Gaelic, her mother tongue. (There is much more about Donald Trump in the article.)
JOAN BAEZ: born in 1941 to a Mexican father and a Scottish mother. Her mother’s name was Joan Bridge. She sang at Woodstock before 500,000 people. Was a committed anti-Vietnam protester.
JACQUELINE BISSET: Her father was Scottish and her mother was a French lawyer. They lived for a time in Aberdeen. Her father died while she was young and chose to be buried in Scotland. In 2001 she was a member of the Fraser clan.
MICKEY ROONEY: Born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a traveling entertainer from Glasgow and his mother was a chorus girl. “My father was born in Scotland and mother is American, so I’m sort of a short Winston Churchill. I am proud to be a Scot.”
ALAN BAIN: President Emeritus of the American Scottish foundation in New York City. His parents were Scottish, but he grew up in Hertfordshire, and spent much of his time visiting family in Scotland. He says “there’s a huge cultural difference between the US and Scotland. I’m trying to bridge between the two countries.” This article says he wears the McKay tartan and that he “adores” haggis. “I always go to the George Hotel in Edinburgh to eat it.” Many of us know Alan Bain and there is much more to his life. I consider Alan Bain to be a personal friend and look forward to seeing him at the Scottish North American Leadership Conference, October 25–27 in Chicago. Further information and registration can be obtained at www.Chicagoscots.org.
BOBBY THOMSON: Born in Glasgow on October 3, 1951, he hit baseball’s most famous home run – “the shot that was heard round the world.” The New York Giants had won the National League pennant! The Illinois Saint Andrew Society honored Bobby Thompson at their Annual Dinner, December 1, 1951. He was given an engraved watch.
NEIL ALDEN ARMSTRONG: “Armstrong’s link to the old world probably dates back quite a few generations. All Armstrongs come from the borders. From there, many settled in northern Ireland before setting off for the New World.” Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon’s surface in 1969 and planted a US flag. In 1972, Armstrong was paraded through his clan’s ancestral hometown of Langholm, Scotland and was given the “Freedom of the Town.”
DUNCAN A. BRUCE: He Attended Wharton business school and then began a career on Wall Street. He is a past board member of The St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York and is also the author of The Mark of the Scots and The Scottish 100. Three of his grandparents were born in Scotland. “I do wear the kilt and try to love haggis, but I think this stuff has been overdone.” Duncan Bruce is a friend of mine and lives in New York City. Many of us have read his books.
ELIZABETH TAYLOR: Taylor began her acting career in 1942 as a child and it was the success of National Velvet with Mickey Rooney in 1944 that made her a star. She was born in London. Her father was an art dealer of Scots descent and her mother, Rosemond, was of Americans Scots descent. “She is well known for her enthusiasm for attending the many organized festivals of American Scots and she travels back to visit Scotland numerous times…” Elizabeth Taylor died March 23, 2011.
MARILYN JORDAN TAYLOR: She is an architect, urban designer and business leader in New York City. At the time this article was written she worked for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Her grandfather was Scottish. “My Scottish grandfather, Clyde McFarlin ran his extended family like a clan, and we felt privileged to be a part of it!” She has visited Scotland, and “says her favorite memory is seeing the Edinburgh Tattoo at the castle. “In 1996 she received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor given to ethnic individuals who have made a contribution to American culture.”
(All of the above information came from the Scotland on Sunday edition of April 1, 2001. You can find them on the Internet.)
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
Upcoming Events:
October 5, 2013 - The History Club Meeting
Our speaker will be Bruce Allardice, Professor of History at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. He has six books to his credit and numerous article on the Civil War. Professor Allardice is Past President of the Civil War Roundtable in Chicago and the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable. He will speak about the Scots of Chicago who fought in the war with a special emphasis on General John McArthur.
“Go anywhere and you will probably find a Scot, or a son of a Scot, or a daughter. The way Scottish people work, think, eat, socialize and play has helped shape the world. Nowhere is that more evident than in North America. From business leaders and scientists, to film stars and artist, we profile the Scots that matter – starting with the son of a Lewis lass who changed the Manhattan skyline, Donald Trump.”
DONALD TRUMP: His Mother, Mary MacLeod Trump, was brought up near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. She came to visit America for the first time at the age of 18. When she was older she was mugged in a shopping mall and its so traumatized her that she reverted to speaking Gaelic, her mother tongue. (There is much more about Donald Trump in the article.)
JOAN BAEZ: born in 1941 to a Mexican father and a Scottish mother. Her mother’s name was Joan Bridge. She sang at Woodstock before 500,000 people. Was a committed anti-Vietnam protester.
JACQUELINE BISSET: Her father was Scottish and her mother was a French lawyer. They lived for a time in Aberdeen. Her father died while she was young and chose to be buried in Scotland. In 2001 she was a member of the Fraser clan.
MICKEY ROONEY: Born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a traveling entertainer from Glasgow and his mother was a chorus girl. “My father was born in Scotland and mother is American, so I’m sort of a short Winston Churchill. I am proud to be a Scot.”
ALAN BAIN: President Emeritus of the American Scottish foundation in New York City. His parents were Scottish, but he grew up in Hertfordshire, and spent much of his time visiting family in Scotland. He says “there’s a huge cultural difference between the US and Scotland. I’m trying to bridge between the two countries.” This article says he wears the McKay tartan and that he “adores” haggis. “I always go to the George Hotel in Edinburgh to eat it.” Many of us know Alan Bain and there is much more to his life. I consider Alan Bain to be a personal friend and look forward to seeing him at the Scottish North American Leadership Conference, October 25–27 in Chicago. Further information and registration can be obtained at www.Chicagoscots.org.
BOBBY THOMSON: Born in Glasgow on October 3, 1951, he hit baseball’s most famous home run – “the shot that was heard round the world.” The New York Giants had won the National League pennant! The Illinois Saint Andrew Society honored Bobby Thompson at their Annual Dinner, December 1, 1951. He was given an engraved watch.
NEIL ALDEN ARMSTRONG: “Armstrong’s link to the old world probably dates back quite a few generations. All Armstrongs come from the borders. From there, many settled in northern Ireland before setting off for the New World.” Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon’s surface in 1969 and planted a US flag. In 1972, Armstrong was paraded through his clan’s ancestral hometown of Langholm, Scotland and was given the “Freedom of the Town.”
DUNCAN A. BRUCE: He Attended Wharton business school and then began a career on Wall Street. He is a past board member of The St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York and is also the author of The Mark of the Scots and The Scottish 100. Three of his grandparents were born in Scotland. “I do wear the kilt and try to love haggis, but I think this stuff has been overdone.” Duncan Bruce is a friend of mine and lives in New York City. Many of us have read his books.
ELIZABETH TAYLOR: Taylor began her acting career in 1942 as a child and it was the success of National Velvet with Mickey Rooney in 1944 that made her a star. She was born in London. Her father was an art dealer of Scots descent and her mother, Rosemond, was of Americans Scots descent. “She is well known for her enthusiasm for attending the many organized festivals of American Scots and she travels back to visit Scotland numerous times…” Elizabeth Taylor died March 23, 2011.
MARILYN JORDAN TAYLOR: She is an architect, urban designer and business leader in New York City. At the time this article was written she worked for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Her grandfather was Scottish. “My Scottish grandfather, Clyde McFarlin ran his extended family like a clan, and we felt privileged to be a part of it!” She has visited Scotland, and “says her favorite memory is seeing the Edinburgh Tattoo at the castle. “In 1996 she received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor given to ethnic individuals who have made a contribution to American culture.”
(All of the above information came from the Scotland on Sunday edition of April 1, 2001. You can find them on the Internet.)
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
Upcoming Events:
October 5, 2013 - The History Club Meeting
Our speaker will be Bruce Allardice, Professor of History at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. He has six books to his credit and numerous article on the Civil War. Professor Allardice is Past President of the Civil War Roundtable in Chicago and the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable. He will speak about the Scots of Chicago who fought in the war with a special emphasis on General John McArthur.
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