John Gibson McMynn (July 9, 1824June 5, 1900) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

educator and school system administrator. He was the 7th

Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government, and acts as the executive head of the Department of ...

, the first president of the Wisconsin Teachers Association, and the founder of the public school system of

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

. He also served as a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Biography

Born in

Palatine Bridge, New York Palatine Bridge is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 737 at the 2010 census. The basis of the name is the community's location in a region settled by Palatine Germans. The Village of Palatine Bridge is ...

, McMynn graduated from

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

in 1848. In 1848, he moved to

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

, where he started a school. In 1853, he moved to

, to set up the public school system. In 1861, he moved to

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who ...

, to help set up the first normal school in Minnesota now

Winona State University Winona State University (Winona) is a public university in Winona, Minnesota. It was founded as First State Normal School of Minnesota in 1858 and is the oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It was the first no ...

. However, when the

started he went back to Wisconsin and joined the

10th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 10th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army in the western theater of the American Civil War. Service The 10th Wisconsin was raised at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service Octobe ...

. He was commissioned Major in the regiment and later was promoted to Colonel. He resigned in June 1863 and returned to Wisconsin. He served as

Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government, and acts as the executive head of the Department of ...

from 1864 to 1868. McMynn helped set up the Wisconsin Teachers Association and was its first president, and he served as regent for the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. He also worked for

Jerome Case Jerome Increase Case (December 11, 1819December 22, 1891) was an early American manufacturer of threshing machines. He founded the J. I. Case Company which has gone through many mergers and name changes to today's Case Corporation. He served thre ...

. McMynn died at his home in Madison on June 5, 1900. Shortly after his death, McMynn School was established in Racine and named for him. The school building later housed

Walden III Middle and High School ''Walden'' (; first published in 1854 as ''Walden; or, Life in the Woods'') is a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part ...

. The school was demolished in 1975 and replaced by an apartment building named McMynn Tower.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcmynn, John G. 1824 births 1900 deaths People from Palatine Bridge, New York Politicians from Kenosha, Wisconsin Politicians from Racine, Wisconsin People from Winona, Minnesota Williams College alumni Winona State University Educators from Minnesota Educators from Wisconsin Superintendents of Public Instruction of Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War 19th-century American politicians Educators from New York (state) 19th-century American educators