John Leighton Stewart | |
|---|---|
 Close up of the John L. Stewart Tower | |
| Born | August 12, 1876 |
| Died | May 31, 1940 (aged 63) |
| Monuments | John L. Stewart Tower at McIlvaine Hall |
| Alma mater | Washington & Jefferson College [1] Harvard Law School [1] |
| Spouse | Margaretta Donnan Stewart [2] |
John Leighton Stewart (August 12, 1876 - May 31, 1940) was a prominent American businessman and newspaper publisher of the Washington Observer and Washington Reporter newspapers in Washington, Pennsylvania.
He was born in Bakerstown, Pennsylvania on August 12, 1876 to Reverend William G. and Jennie Wright Stewart. [1] He graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1899 and attended Harvard Law School. [1]
He and Ernest F. Acheson owned the Washington Observer and the afternoon Washington Reporter newspapers in Washington, Pennsylvania, which eventually merged to form the Observer-Reporter. [3] He was a trustee of Washington & Jefferson College and of the Washington Female Seminary. [4] He was a trustee of The Washington Hospital. [4]
He founded the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association. [4]
He died on May 31, 1940. [5] His wife, Margaretta Donnan Stewart, took over control of the Observer-Reporter. [2]
The John L. Stewart Clock Tower on the northwest corner of the McIlvane Hall at Washington & Jefferson College is named in his honor. [6] Before McIlvane Hall was demolished in 2008, the clock chimed to note the hour. [7] [8]
Washington & Jefferson College is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. The college traces its origin to three Presbyterian missionaries in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and Joseph Smith. Early schools grew into two competing academies, with Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington College in Washington. The two colleges merged in 1865 to form Washington & Jefferson College. The 60-acre (24 ha) campus has more than 40 buildings, with the oldest dating to 1793. The college has a strong history of competing literary societies, dating back before the union of Jefferson and Washington Colleges. The athletic program competes in NCAA Division III. Nearly all students live on campus and roughly one-third are members of fraternities or sororities.
The Observer–Reporter is a daily newspaper covering Washington County, Greene County, and the Mon Valley in Pennsylvania, with some overlap into the South Hills of Pittsburgh in. The newspaper was published by the Observer Publishing Company in the city of Washington, Pennsylvania.
Ernest Francis Acheson was an American newspaper editor and politician, who served as a Pennsylvania representative to the United States House of Representatives.
Ralph Cooper Hutchison was president of Washington & Jefferson College and Lafayette College.
The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is a trade group serving newspapers in Pennsylvania. The PNA seeks to "advance the business interests of Pennsylvania news media companies" and protect the "free and independent press." It represents Pennsylvania newsmedia interests in the legislature, provides public educational services, and acts as an information clearinghouse.
George Price Hays was the 2nd president of Washington & Jefferson College.
The Washington Female Seminary was a Presbyterian seminary for women operating from 1836 to 1948 in Washington, Pennsylvania. During the 19th century, it was "one of the best known and most noted institutions of its kind in the state".
McMillan Hall is a building on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. Built in 1793, it is the only surviving building from Washington Academy. It is the eighth-oldest academic building in the United States that is still in use for its original academic purpose and is the oldest surviving college building west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The Clark Family Library, formerly U. Grant Miller Library is the academic library for Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pennsylvania. The library traces its origins back to a donation from Benjamin Franklin in 1789. The Archives and Special Collections contain significant holdings of historical papers dating to the college's founding. The Walker Room contains the personal library of prominent industrialist John Walker, complete with all of his library's fixtures and furniture, installed exactly how it had been during Walker's life.
Old Main is the main academic building at Washington & Jefferson College. It is the predominant building on campus and has served virtually every student since its construction. Its two identical towers, added in 1875, symbolize the union of Washington College and Jefferson College to form Washington & Jefferson College. The towers appear on the college seal, in a stylized version. The college fundraising operation founded "The Old Main Society" in 1996 to recognize individuals who utilize planned giving.
Literary societies at Washington & Jefferson College played an important role in its academics and student life, especially during the 18th and 19th century. Washington & Jefferson College is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, which is located in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County, Pennsylvania established by three frontier clergymen in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and Joseph Smith. These early schools eventually grew into two competing colleges, with Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania being chartered in 1802 and Washington College being chartered in 1806. These two schools merged in 1865 to form Washington & Jefferson College.
The John A. Swanson Science Center, also known as the Swanson Science Center is an academic building on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College. It was completed in February 2010 and was named after John A. Swanson, an engineer and businessman on the Board of Trustees, who donated $10 million towards its construction. This 47,500 square feet (4,410 m2) facility houses classrooms for Chemistry, Physics, Biophysics and Biochemistry and was designed to match its neighboring historic campus architecture. Its learning facilities include wet and dry teaching laboratories, faculty and student research labs, and a multi-disciplinary lab designed for non-science majors.
The Roberts House is a historic building in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is designated as a historic residential landmark/farmstead by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation. The Greater Canonsburg Heritage Society erected a historical marker near the house, which is the last remaining structure from Jefferson College.
The history of Washington & Jefferson College begins with three log cabin colleges established by three frontier clergymen in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and Joseph Smith. The three men, all graduates from the College of New Jersey, came to present-day Washington County to plant churches and spread Presbyterianism to what was then the American frontier beyond the Appalachian Mountains. John McMillan, the most prominent of the three founders because of his strong personality and longevity, came to the area in 1775 and built his log cabin college in 1780 near his church in Chartiers. Thaddeus Dod, known as a keen scholar, built his log cabin college in Lower Ten Mile in 1781. Joseph Smith taught classical studies in his college, called "The Study" at Buffalo.
The relationship between the City of Washington, Pennsylvania, and Washington & Jefferson College spans over two centuries, dating to the founding of both the city and the college in the 1780s. The relationship between the town and college were strong enough that the citizens of Washington offered the college a $50,000 donation in 1869 in a successful attempt to lure the Washington & Jefferson College trustees to select Washington over nearby Canonsburg as the consolidated location of the college. The relationship was strained through the latter half of the 20th century, however, as the college pursued an expansion policy that clashed with the residential neighborhood. The college's frustrations grew after preservationists unsuccessfully attempted to pass laws prohibiting the college from demolishing certain buildings that were listed on the East Washington Historic District. Relations were so bad that residents and college officials engaged in a shouting match at a meeting. Local preservationists also unsuccessfully tried to block the demolition of Hays Hall, which had been condemned.
John McMillan's Log School is a landmark log building in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania that was the site of John McMillan's frontier Latin school during the 1780s. It is a symbol of Canonsburg and Canonsburg's educational tradition. In 1930, The Pittsburgh Press said that the building was "viewed by the pioneers with even more reverence than Pittsburgh now view the towering Cathedral of Learning in Oakland." It is one of the oldest buildings in Western Pennsylvania. It is the "oldest educational building west of the Allegheny Mountains."
Observer Publishing Company is a newspaper publishing company headquartered in Washington, Pennsylvania. The company publishes The Observer–Reporter, a daily newspaper covering Washington County, Greene County, and the Mon Valley in Pennsylvania, with some overlap into the South Hills of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County. Other publications include The Almanac, a weekly publication covering the South Hills and northern Washington County, and several niche publications and associated websites.
