John William Abercrombie (May 17, 1866 – July 2, 1940) was

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of the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

and a member of the

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from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Biography

Abercrombie was born in

St. Clair County, Alabama St. Clair County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama."ACES Winston County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpageACES-St.Clair As of the 2020 census, the populatio ...

, near Kellys Creek Post Office, in 1866. He was the son of Henry M. and Sarah A. (Kendrick) Abercrombie. He attended rural schools, and ultimately graduated from Oxford College (Alabama) in Alabama in 1866. He went on to receive a degree in law from the

in 1888. He was admitted to the bar that same year. On January 8, 1891, he married Rose Merrill.

Career

Abercrombie practiced in Cleburne County, Alabama through 1890. He also served as a high school principal, city school superintendent, and college president from 1888 through 1898.''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989: Bicentennial Edition.'' United States: Government Printing Office, 1989. Elected to the Alabama Senate, Abercrombie served from 1896 through 1898. He then served the state as the state superintendent of education from 1898 to 1902. In 1902 he was made the President of the University of Alabama and he served in that capacity until 1911. In 1912, Abercrombie was elected from the

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to the United States House of Representatives, where he served from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1917. He went on to serve as Solicitor of Labor and Acting Secretary in the United States Department of Labor from 1918 through 1920. In 1920, he was elected the Superintendent of Education in Alabama.

Death

Abercrombie resided in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

, where he died on July 2, 1940 (age 74 years, 46 days). He is

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at Greenwood Cemetery, Montgomery, Alabama. He was a

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and a member of Scottish Rite, as well as the

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(collegiate social fraternity);

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(collegiate honor society);

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; Woodmen; and

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References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Abercrombie, John 1866 births 1940 deaths Democratic Party Alabama state senators People from Cleburne County, Alabama Politicians from Montgomery, Alabama People from St. Clair County, Alabama Presidents of the University of Alabama University of Alabama School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama Lawyers from Montgomery, Alabama