Henry Mitchell McCracken was born at Oxford, Ohio, September 28, 1840. His early education was obtained in the public schools and later at Miami university, from whence he graduated in 1857. He also studied at the United Presbyterian theological seminary at Zenia, Ohio, at the Princeton theological seminary, and at Tubingen and Berlin universities. His first professional work was that of a teacher of classics and a public school superintendent. From 1857 to 1860 he was pastor of the Westminster church at Columbus, Ohio, and later of the Presbyterian church at Toledo, Ohio. In 1868, he was elected chancellor of the Western university, at Pittsburg, and in 1880 was made vice-chancellor and professor of philosophy in the New York university, which position he held until 1891, when he was made chancellor. He is the author of numerous educational and theological works. In 1872 he married Catherine Hubbard. Chancellor McCracken’s life work has had a dominating influence on educational theories and methods in this country. His powers of professional expansion have enabled him to keep pace with the drift of modern thought and sentiment.
Woodrow Wilson.
Woodrow Wilson was born at Staunton, Virginia, December 28, 1856. He is of Scotch ancestry. After being trained in private schools of Augusta, Georgia, and Columbia, South Carolina, he graduated from Princeton in 1879, and then studied law at the University of Virginia. Being admitted to the bar, he practiced for a year in Atlanta, Georgia, and later entered Johns Hopkins university for a graduating course in history and politics. In 1885 he was chosen as an instructor in history and politics at Bryn Mawr college and in 1886 he received the degree of Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins university. In 1888 he was a member of the faculty in Wesleyan university, and in 1890 was called as the chair of jurisprudence at Princeton. In August, 1902, he was elected president of Princeton to succeed President Patton. He has published a number of educational text-books and historical, biographical and political works. His most recent and perhaps most important work is a history of the American people, issued in five volumes. President Wilson is well known as a lecturer on military and political subjects, through the medium of his contributions to various periodicals.
EDITORS.
Henry Mills Alden.
Harper’s Magazine is one of the classics in the vast library of monthly publications. Magazines, like people, have their periods of elevation and depression. But Harper’s has maintained a steady level of high-class individuality, this being due in no small degree to the work of Henry Mills Alden, who, since 1869, has been its editor-in-chief. Mr. Alden was born at Mount Tabor, near Danby, Vermont, November 11, 1836. He attended public school at Hoosick Falls, New York, graduated from Williams college in 1857, and from the Andover theological seminary in 1860, but he never took orders. His literary bent was made manifest early in life, and, after much general work with his pen, he became managing editor of Harper’s Weekly, which position he held until he was put in charge of the magazine. For some time he was lecturer at the Lowell institute, Boston. He is the author of some religious books, and also of Harper’s Pictorial History of the Great Revolution, Mr. A. H. Guernsey being associated with him in the production of that work. Mr. Alden’s life story is that of a man who, having a purpose, hopes on and works on, ceasing not until his hopes are lost in full fruition.
Edward William Bok.
Edward William Bok, who, since 1888, has been the editor of the Ladies’ Home Journal, was born in Helder, Holland, October 9, 1863. He came to this country with his parents when six years of age and was educated in the public schools of Brooklyn. He then learned stenography and entered the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Company. Finding that his position had no future for him, he, in 1884, became connected with the firm of Henry Holt & Co., publishers, and later with the Scribner firm, with which he remained. His industry and integrity gained for him the respect of his employers, and when finally he became desirous of securing the control of the publication of which he is now owner, he had no difficulty in obtaining the needed capital with which to accomplish his desires. Mr. Bok is married and is the author of “A Young Man In Business,” “Successward,” etc.