John Patterson Archibald and Nancy Jane White Portser
Husband John Patterson Archibald 1
Born: 3 Jan 1865 - Derry Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 2 Christened: Died: Buried:
Father: Samuel Archibald (1838-Aft 1913) 1 Mother: Lavinia Ann Patterson (1833-1913) 2 3
Marriage: 1 Nov 1900 4
Wife Nancy Jane White Portser 4
Born: - Saltsburg, Indiana Co, PA Christened: Died: Buried:
Father: Simon S. Portser ( - ) 4 5 Mother: Harriet White ( - ) 4 5
Children
1 M John Patterson Archibald, Jr. 4
Born: 15 Sep 1901 4 Christened: Died: 27 Feb 1902 4 Buried: - Blairsville Cemetery, Blairsville, Indiana Co, PA
2 F Mary Lavina Archibald 4
Born: 1 Nov 1902 4 Christened: Died: Buried: Status: Twin
3 F Elizabeth Portser Archibald 4
Born: 1 Nov 1902 4 Christened: Died: Buried: Status: Twin
4 M William Fullerton Archibald 4
Born: 27 Jan 1910 4 Christened: Died: Buried:
General Notes: Husband - John Patterson Archibald
He attended the country school known as the Anderson school, and summer normals in Livermore borough, till about seventeen years old, when he began to teach in his home township. He taught two years in Derry township and two years in Livermore borough. He graduated from the Indiana State normal school in the class of 1893, and was elected principal of the Saltsburg public schools the same year, which position he filled for six consecutive years, when he was elected principal of the Blairsville public schools. At the close of three years of principalship over the Blairsville public schools he purchased a jewelry business. During the thirteen years of school work he taught summer normals, preparing many young men and women for teaching and for college work. He was a member of the State examining board for permanent certificates for a period of ten years, and also a member of the State and National Educational Associations. His keen interest in educational matters and his aim to be a leader in his work induced him to attend county, state and national meetings of education, thus keeping himself thoroughly posted in his profession. He was a leader in educational work and enjoyed a wide acquaintanceship with prominent educators.
For some years he was a member of Company D, 5th Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania, seeing service in the Homestead labor strike and also in the Punxsutawney strike.
In 1897 Mr. Archibald took the preliminary law examination at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in a large class, and passed with the highest average. He registered with attorney John B. Steele (later Judge Steele) and continued the study of law while engaged in school work. When he purchased his jewelry business he gave up the study of law to devote his entire time to it. On June 30, 1902, Mr. Archibald purchased the jewelry store of William F. Hasinger, closing his long career as an educator.
In 1907 Mr. Archibald was elected first vice president of the American National Retail Jewelers' Association, at the annual convention in Chicago. During the year he traveled in several states, organizing and speaking at state meetings for the president of the association. At Cincinnati, Ohio, at the annual convention in 1908, he was elected national president by a large majority over candidates from three of the largest cities in the United States. Throughout this year he traveled over twenty-five thousand miles, attending conventions and speaking at jewelers' banquets. At the following annual convention, in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1909, Mr. Archibald was unanimously reelected national president for another year, this being the first time that a national president succeeded himself. This year was even more strenuous. He traveled more than twenty-five thousand miles, speaking in more than twenty states, at conventions and banquets. At the annual convention in Detroit in 1910 he refused reelection as president, but was elected a member of the national executive committee. At the close of his service as national president the members of the Association presented him, at Detroit, a sterling silver loving cup, leaving engraved thereon: "John P. Archibald, President American National Retail Jewelers' Association. In appreciation of his valued services as President of the Association 1908-1910." He continued to take great interest in the affairs of the National Jewelers' Association and attended all the meetings.
Mr. Archibald united with the Livermore Presbyterian Church (his home church) when quite a young man and was president of the Christian Endeavor Society, superintendent of the Sabbath school and a trustee while a member in that church. During his six years in Saltsburg he was a teacher in the Sabbath school, a member of the choir, president of the Christian Endeavor Society for nearly four years and a very active church worker. He was later a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Blairsville, was president of the Brotherhood, and taught the Bible class, having an enrollment of sixty men.
He was a thirty-second degree Mason, member of the Knights Templar, and Shriner; belonged to the Odd Fellows, Royal Arcanum, and Junior Order of American Mechanics, and took a deep interest in fraternal matters. Socially he belonged to the Twenty Four Karat Club of New York City and also Pittsburgh. He attended the banquets and social occasions of these clubs and also of similar clubs in Philadelphia and Chicago, there meeting the leading men of the nation. On one occasion William Howard Taft, President of the United States, was present at the Twenty Four Karat Club banquet in New York, and made the address.
Politically Mr. Archibald was a Republican, but on many occasions he votes independently. He was a total abstainer from all alcoholic liquors, and a strong temperance advocate.
During his business career he spoke on trade topics to many business men's organizations and enjoyed the reputation of being a good public speaker. In later years he wrote many articles on trade topics for the jewelers' journals. He also prepared a book for jewelers. Having visited nearly seven thousand retail jewelry stores over the United States, and most of the watch factories, cut glass, silverware and jewelry manufactories, and having made a careful study of the business, his articles were sought after by the jewelry trade. He was sent by the National Retail Jewelers' Association to Washington, D. C., on two occasions to speak to the committees of the House of Representatives against the passage of certain measures. He had a nation-wide acquaintanceship among business men in his line, and also men in public life.
After two years of reading and study Mr. Archibald completed a business course in accounting, advertising, credits, buying and selling and commercial law at the Alexander Hamilton Institute of New York City.
General Notes: Wife - Nancy Jane White Portser
She graduated from the schools of Saltsburg, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, and from the Indiana State normal school, in the class of 1896, and taught four years in the Saltsburg high school and one year in the Johnstown public schools prior to her marriage.
1 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 610.
2 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 611.
3 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 380.
4 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 612.
5
—, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 393.
Home | Table of Contents | Surnames | Name List
This Web Site was Created 15 Apr 2023 with Legacy 9.0 from Millennia