Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/519

 IRWIN

ISAACS

of Keokuk, receiving the support of both parties. He was appointed governor of Idaho Territory by President Arthur in 1883, and of Arizona Terri- torj' bj' President Harrison in 1890. He was ap- pointed by President McKinley U.S. minister to Portugal, April 18, 1899, to succeed Lawrence Townsend, transferred to the embassy of Brus- sels.

IRWIN, Thomas, jurist, was born in Philadel- phia, Pa., Feb. 23, 1785; son of Col. Matthew Ir- win (1740-1800), a native of Ireland, who immi- grated to America in 1767; took up his residence in Philadelphia, and at the beginning of the Rev- olution entered the patriot army as captain, and was one of the sixty citizens of Philadelphia to donate money for the supi^ort of the army at Valley Forge. He became recorder of Philadel- phia in 1785, and master of rolls for the state in 1790. Thomas Irwin's mother was a daughter of Benjamin Mifflin, whose grandfather, John Mif- flin, in company with William Penn, came from England to Delaware in 1682. Thomas was edu- cated at Franklin college, Pennsylvania, but was not graduated owing to his father's death and the straitened circumstances in which he was left. He became editor of the Philadelphia Re- jyository in 1804, and was admitted to the bar in 1808. The same year he was appointed to the Indian department at Natchitoches, La., where for two yeai-s he practised law. Ill health caused his temporary removal in 1810 to Uniontowu, Paj'ette county, Penn. He was a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, 1824-26, and at that time prepared the bill for the extension of the Chesapeake & Oiiio railroad. He was a Demo- cratic representative in the 21st congress, 1829- 31, and in 1830 was chosen judge of the western district of Pennsylvania, which office he held until his death, in Pittsburg, Pa., May 14.1870.

IRWIN, William, go%-ernor of California, was born in Butler count}'. Ohio, in 1827; son of David Irwin, a native of Ohio and a farmer. He was graduated from Marietta college, A.B., 1848, A.M., 1851; and after teaching at Port Gibson, Miss., 1848-49, was tutor at Marietta, 1849-51. From there he went to Chicago, studied law, 1851-53, and was admitted to the bar in 1853. He •settled in Siskiyou county, Cal., and became a miner and lumberman. He was a Democratic representative in the state legislature, 1861-65; ■was editor of the Yreka Union, 1865-75; was a member of the state senate, 1869-75, being for a time president pro tempore of the senate; was lieutenant-governor of the state, 1873-75, govern- or. 1875-79, and president of the state board of harbor commissioners, 1883-86. He received the -degree of LL.D. from Marietta in 1876. He was married. Dec. 21. 1865, to Elizabeth Cassidy. He died in San Francisco, Cal., March 15, 1886.

IRWIN, William Wallace, representative, was born in Pittsburg, Pa., in 1803; son of John and Agnes (Farquhar) Irwin; grandson of John and Agnes (Wallace) Irwin, and a descendant of John Irwin, who, with two brothers, came to Pennsylvania in the middle of the eighteenth cen- tury, landing in Philadelphia, and finally settling in Cumberland county. Pa. William's father settled at Fort Duquesne about the time its name was changed to Fort Pitt, and owned land in what became the heart of the city of Pitts- burg. William Wallace Irwin was educated at a private school in Pittsburg and at Allegheny college, Meadville, Pa., and became a lawyer, practising in his native place. He was married, in February, 1839, to Sophia, daughter of Richard and Sophia (Dallas) Bache, granddaughter of Alexander J. Dallas, and great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin. Mr. Irwin was a repre- sentative in the 27th congress, and U.S. charge d'affaires to Denmark, by appointment of Presi- dent Tyler, 1843-47. He died in Pittsburg, Pa., Sept. 15. 1856.

ISAACS, Abram Samuel, educator, was born in New York city, Aug. 30, 1852; son of the Rev. Samuel Myer (q.v.) and Jane (Syramons) Isaacs, and brother of Myer Samuel Isaacs (q.v.). He was graduated at the University of the City of New York (afterward New York university), A.B., 1871, A.M., 1873, and Ph.D., 1878. He was a student at the Jewish Theological seminary. Breslau, Germany, and at the Univensity of Breslau, 1874-77. He assumed the editorship of the Jeivish Messenger in 1878, and was professor of Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic in the Univer- sity of the City of New York, 1885-94, and of German language and literature, 1889-96, when he was made professor of German literature in the post-graduate seminary of the university. In 1896 he was appointed rabbi of Barnert Memo- rial temple, Paterson, N.J. He was married, April 23, 1890, to Lily Lee, daughter of J. D. Harby. He is the author of: A Modern Hebrew Poet (1878); Stories from the Rabbis (1893), and a biographical sketch of his father in the Maga- zine of American History (1891), besides articles in the Forum, Andover Review, Atlantic Monthly, North American Review, Arena, Ladies' Home Journal and Coitiiry.

ISAACS, riyer Samuel, jurist, was born in New York city. May 8, 1841; son of the Rev. Samuel Myer and Jane (Symmons) Isaacs, who came to America in 1839. He was graduated at the University of the City of New York, A.B. and class valedictorian in 1859, A.M. in 1862, LL.M. in 1896. He was graduated from the university law department in 1862, when he establislied himself in the practice of law in New York city. He was editor of the Jewish Messen-