Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/310

 KNOX

KNOX

Orleans a defalcation of $1.0nO.OOO, and he took charge of the branch. He was deputy comptroller of the currency under Secretary McCuUoch, 1867-72, and comptroller, 1872-84. While deputy comptroller he prepared a bill for the discontin- uing of the coinage of the silver dollar, with the help of the director of the mint, and on June 25, 1870, reported the bill with the opinion of scien- tific experts to congress, and it was ordered printed. In 1873 Henry R. Linderman (q. v.) used this bill and the opinions attached as the basis of the " Coinage act of 1873," and Mr. Knox was made an ex officio member of the assay com- mission in recognition of his services. He ac- complished the sale of the 3^ per cent, bonds. He was president of the National Bank of the Republic, New York city, 1884-92 ; the Republi- can candidate for comptroller of New York city, 1887 ; a member of the finance committee of the New York chamber of commerce ; a trustee of Hamilton college, 1884-92 ; a member of the American Banking association, of the Union League and University clubs, and of the Century association. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Hamilton in 1890. On Jan. 16, 1890, he made an elaborate argument in favor of a permanent national bank circulation before the banking and currency committee of the U. S. house of representatives. He is the author of : Annual Reports of the U. S. Treasury (1872- 1884) ; United States Notes ; or a History of the Various Issues of Paper Money by the U. S. Gov- ernment (1894) ; A History of Banking in the United States, left incomplete and published by his wife. He died in New York city, Feb. 9, 1892.

KNOX, Martin Van Buren, educator, was born at Schroon, N.Y., Oct. 4, 1841 ; son of Jeph- thah and Philura (Lewis) Knox. He served in the U. S. army, 1861-65, gaining the rank of cap- tain. He was a student at Wesleyan university, 1869-70 ; was stationed at St. Johnsbury Centre, Vt., 1870-71, and at North Thetford and Fairlee, 1871-72. He married Janette, daughter of the Rev. Lewis Hill of Craftsbury, Vt., Jan. 9, 1871. He was graduated at Baker university, Baldwin, Kansas, A.B., 1873 ; was professor of natural science there, 1873-77 ; graduated at Boston uni- versity, A.M., 1879, Ph.D., 1882 ; stationed in New Hampshire, 1879-92 ; made a tour of the world, 1801-92 ; and was president of the Red River Valley university, Wahpeton, N.D., 1892-99. He received the honorary degi-eeof D.D. from Baker university in 1899. He is the author of : A Win- ter in India and Malaysia (1890;; Religious Life of the Anglo-Saxon Race, in preparation (1900-01).

KNOX, Philander Chase, cabinet officer, was boi'n in Brownsville, Pa., May 6, 1853 ; son of David S. and Rebekah (Page) Knox. His father was a banker in Brownsville. He matriculated

at the University of West Virginia in the class of 1872, and was graduated at Mount Union college, Alliance, Ohio, in 1872 ; entered the law office of H. B. Swope, Pittsburg, Pa., and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He was assistant United States district attorney for the western district of Pennsylvania, 1876. and in 1877 formed a law partnership with James H. Reed, as Knox & Reed, and became counsel for many large interests, in- cuding the Carnegie company. He was elected president of the Allegheny bar association in 1897. He is said to have been considered by President McKinley for attorney-general in his cabinet in 1897, but would not encourage the ap- pointment at that time on account of his unwill- ingness to relinquish the practice of law. He was married, in 1880, to Lillie, daughter of An- drew D. Smith, of Pittsburg. He was elected to membership in the Duquesne, Pittsburg, and Pittsburg County clubs, of his home city ; the Castalia Angling club, Sandusky, Ohio ; the Union League and Lawyers' clubs. New York city, and the Lawyers' club, Philadelphia, Pa. He was made attorney-general in the cabinet of President McKinley in 1901, as successor to John William Griggs, resigned, and was sworn into oflice. April 9, 1901.

KNOX, Samuel Richardson, naval officer, was born in Charlestown, Mass., Aug. 28, 1811. His father was a Boston pilot. He was warranted midshipman April 1, 1828, was promoted past- midshipman July 15, 1837, and accom. panied Lieut. Charles Wilkes in his ex- ploring expedition to the south pole as commander of the schooner Flying

Fish, and Knox's highland, the most southern point at- tained, was named in his honor. He was

promoted lieuten-

ant. Sept. 8, 1841 ; attached to the sloop Albany, home squadron, and during the Mexican war, 1846-48, commanded a landing party at the cap- ture of Vera Cruz ; led an assault on Tuspan, and subsequently commanded the Flirt and after- ward the Wasp. He was on the receiving-ship Boston, 1849-50 ; commanded the steamer Mas- sachusetts in the Pacific squadron, and surveyed the coasts of California and Oregon, 1850-52. He was on the receiving-ship Boston, 1852-53 ; was attached to the sloop Falmouth, home squadron, 1854-55, and was retired, Sept. 13, 1855. In 1862 he was appointed to tlie command of the ren- dezvous Boston, and was engaged in blockading

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