Database

Notes:

a) BIOGRAPHY: From the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress (http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000385):n nBIOGRAPHY: SHOWALTER, Joseph Baltzell, a Representative fromPennsylvania; born near Smithfield, Fayette County, Pa., February 11,1851; attended the public schools and Georges Creek Academy atSmithfield; taughtschool in West Virginia, Indiana, and Illinois1867-1873; moved to Chicora, Pa., in 1873 and engaged in the productionof petroleum and natural gas; studied medicine at Long Island CollegeHospital, Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1883; was graduated from the College ofPhysicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, Md., in 1884; practiced medicine inChicora, Pa., from 1884 to 1890, when he again engaged in the productionof petroleum and natural gas; member of the State house ofrepresentatives in 1887 and 1888; served in the State senate 1889-1892;elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancycaused by the death of James J. Davidson; reelected to the Fifty-sixthand Fifty-seventh Congresses andserved from April 20, 1897, to March 3,1903; was not a candidate for reelection; resumed his former businesspursuits and resided in Butler,Pa.; moved to Pittsburgh, Pa., and thento Washington, D.C.; also engaged in the development of land in southernFlorida; died in Washington,D.C., December 3, 1932; interment in NorthCemetery, Butler, Pa.n nBIOGRAPHY: Senate of Pennsylvania.n nBIOGRAPHY: The woman physician--may she increase and multiply. I havebelieved from my earliest recollection that woman was the equal of maninmany attributes of character and his superior in some. In fact, I believein the equality of the sexes, in the principles of Christianity asapplied to humanity and exemplified in the teaching and practice of thegolden rule, in the Declaration of Independence as framed by the immortalJefferson wherein he declares that all men are created equal andendowedby their Creator with certain inalienable rights among which are life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I doubt not but these fundamentalprinciples are accepted by the great majority of intelligentAmericans.Still there are many who doubt the propriety of woman entering theprofessions while yielding consent to the argument that she hasthe rightto do so--the right to earn her livelihood in any honest avocation inwhich the God of nature may have endowed her with abilities to pursue.Who, oh man, shall be the Judge as to the propriety? Thanks to anenlightened public conscience and the steady progressive spirit oftheage, the high walls of prejudice, superstition and ignorance have beenbroken in many places, if not entirely leveled, and today we can point tomany illustrious examples wherein our noble profession has beenhonoredand elevated, a community benefitted and blessed, and many a house madehappy by the faithful intelligent demonstrations of a woman physicianwhose efforts for the amelioration of the sufferings of othershave wonfor her imperishable tablets in the temple of humanity. To those whodoubt the propriety of women entering the professions, I would remindthem that women have exercised the highest civil powers in all ages ofthe world, from Zenobia of Palmyra to Victoria of England, and withoutdetracting from their graces as women or their virtues as mothers. Thatwomen have created public sentiment before which legislatures have beatand courts have bowed�God grant that the day may soon arrivewhen weshall not only accord them the right of equal pay for equal work in anyand all pursuits to which they may aspire and in which they may provethemselves equipped, but also when our enlightened nation shall grantthem the recognition of their capacity for full citizenship.n nBIOGRAPHY: It is the belief of many wise men of our times that there is acrisis at hand in the affairs of government. That in the great gulfstream of humanity which flows from foreign shores with increasing andrising flood, the integrity our nation is at hazard, and unrestrictedimmigration is the mother of public demoralization, socialism, andanarchy. The only cure is restricted immigration and universal suffragelimited only by an educational qualification. I believe the cure will bemore permanent than the one effected by the Erie physician of whom myfriend Sen. Mclereary relates that he had acquired quite a reputation inthe treatment of stuttering. One morning, a patient entered his officeand enquired, "Can you cure stuttering?" "Yes sir"--just then a young manin the office desirous of sharing the doctors skill exclaimed, "He curedme!"n nBIOGRAPHY: I would advise the lady practitioner, should there be anypresent and unmarried, that before she enters upon the sea of matrimonyshe ponders well�and not subject herself to criticisms as did the youngmedical student of whom I have heard�who had fallen in love with a fineyoung woman of prominent and wealthy parents. The girl was willing, butthe father objected because of the young man�s poverty. In his distress,he applied to his ________, a wise and benevolent old gentleman, as allold doctors are. He, determined to help him, said to him, "I will giveyou $25,000 for your right leg." The young man refused. A few days later,the doctor made it his business to see the father of the young lady, andin a friendly chat, the father stated his objection to the young man onaccount of his poverty. "What, why I heard him refuse $25,000 for a pieceof property the other day, and I know he has other pieces equally asfine.n nBIOGRAPHY: Joseph Baltzell Showalter, M.D., (1851-1932), from handwrittennotes on Pennsylvania Senate stationery, evidently made for a speech c.1889-1892, during his term in the Pennsylvania Senate. He had served inthe Pennsylvania House of Delegates from 1887 to 1888. He later went onto the U.S. Congress. From the Biographical Directory of the U.S.Congress: "elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fifth Congress to fillthe vacancy caused by the death of James J. Davidson; reelected to theFifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh Congresses and served from April 20, 1897,to March 3, 1903; was not a candidate for reelection;" Once havingtakenup residence in Washington, Dr. Showalter remained there the rest of hislife. One of his daughters, Lucile McKee Showalter, (1893-1974), marriedMilton William Leggett, (1894-1970), my grandfather, in Washington D.C.in 1925. Transcribed by voice, David John Leggett, 29 November 1999.n nBIOGRAPHY: THE WASHINGTON POST hand dated Dec. 4, 1932n nBIOGRAPHY: DR. SHOWALTER DIES; FORMERLY IN HOUSE Rites today for One-Time Representative From Pennsylvania.n nBIOGRAPHY: The funeral of Dr. Joseph Baltzell Showalter, formerrepresentative in Congress from the Butler, Pa. District, will be heldfrom the Speare undertaking parlors at 1623 Connecticut avenue northwest,at 3:30 p. m. today. Dr. Showalter died yesterday afternoon at 1:30o�clock. After the funeral the body will be taken to Butler, Pa. forinterment.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Showalter is survived by his wife, who was Miss Ella M.McKee, of Pennsylvania; two daughters, Mrs. A. Wilson McCandless and Mrs.Milton W. Leggett, of Pittsburgh, and one son, John B. Showalter of thiscity. His eldest daughter, Genevieve, died while Dr. Showalter was inCongress, she having been one of the belles of the congressional set ofthat day.n nBIOGRAPHY: Born near Smithfield, Fayette County, Pa., February 11, 1851,the son of Levi and Elizabeth Showalter, Dr. Showalter was educatedatGeorge Creek Academy, and studied medicine at the Long Island CollegeHospital in Brooklyn, and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons inBaltimore, having been awarded his degree of doctor of medicine at thelatter institution. For some years he practiced medicine and then becameassociated with his brothers in the petroleum industry of westernPennsylvania. He was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Delegates in1886 and to the Pennsylvania Senate in 1888, serving in the latter bodyuntil 1892.n nBIOGRAPHY: As a Pennsylvania legislator, Dr. Showalter took a deepinterest in training of deaf children and secured legislation for theestablishment of one of the earliest lip-reading schools in the world. Hebrought a group of these children to Washington and then to the World�sFair in Chicago, where they were widely admired for their lip-readingability.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Showalter was first elected to the Fifty-fifth Congressand served until the end of the Fifty-seventh Congress. He was closelyrelated to the late United States Circuit Judge John D. Showalter, whowas for many years law partner of former Secretary of State Walter Q.Gresham. He was also closely related to Capt. Showalter, chess championof the Americas during the late 90s, and to the late W. B. Showalter,formany years editor of Editor and Publisher.n nBIOGRAPHY: THE SUNDAY STAR Hand dated Dec. 4, 1932n nBIOGRAPHY: FORMER MEMBER OF CONGRESS DIES Dr. Joseph B. Showalter, 82, Served Three Terms From Pennsylvania.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Joseph Baltzell Showalter, a former RepublicanRepresentative in Congress from the Butler, Pa., district, died at hishome, 1867 Wyoming avenue yesterday. He was 82 years old.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Showalter, who was elected to the Fifty-fifth CongressApril 20, 1897, and served through the Fifty-seventh, was born nearSmithfield, Fayette County, February 11, 1851. His parents were Levi andElizabeth Showalter.n nBIOGRAPHY: He was educated at George Creek Academy, and studied medicineat the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, and at the CollegeofPhysicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, receiving his degree in 1884.Hepracticed medicine in Chicora, Pa., and later became associated with hisbrothers in the Butler, Pa., oil fields.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Showalter entered the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1886andserved in the House and Senate until 1892. His service in the Capital wasfrom 1897 to March 3, 1903.n nBIOGRAPHY: Surviving the late Representative are his widow, the formerMiss Ella M. McKee; two daughters, Mrs. A. Wilson McCandless ofPittsburgh and Mrs. Milton W. Leggett of this city, and a son, John B.Showalter, also of Washington. His eldest daughter, Genevieve, died whilehe was a member of Congress here.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Showalter was closely related to the late United StatesCircuit Judge John D. Showalter of Chicago, for many years law partner ofWalter Q. Gresham, President Cleveland�s Secretary of State; JacksonShowalter, famous chess champion, and the late W. B. Showalter, who waseditor of Editor and Publisher Magazine. He was more distantly related toDr. William J. Showalter of the National Geographic Magazine. [We havehis extensive obituary, see below, appearing in the Evening Star(Washington, D. C.,) Monday, 14 October 1935.]n nBIOGRAPHY: Funeral services will be held this afternoon at Speare�sfuneral parlors, 1623 Connecticut avenue. The body will be taken toButler, Pa., for burial.n nBIOGRAPHY: "BUTLER PAPER" (BUTLER COUNTY RECORD?) Hand dated Dec. 5n nBIOGRAPHY: DR. SHOWALTER BURIED IN BUTLER Former Resident of County Dies in Washington, D. C., Saturday.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Joseph B. Showalter, aged 81, former congressman from theButler district, who died at his home in Washington, D. C., Saturday, wasburied in the North Cemetery in Butler at 11 o�clock this morning. Bothhis widow, and a daughter, Mrs. A. W. McCandless of Pittsburgh areseriously ill at their homes and were unable to accompany the body toButler.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Showalter died suddenly in Washington Saturday of acerebral hemorrhage.n nBIOGRAPHY: He was born in Fayette county, February 11, 1851, the son ofLevi and Elizabeth Showalter. He obtained his education in the publicschools and at George�s Creek Academy at Smithfield.n nBIOGRAPHY: When 16 years of age, he started teaching in Preston county,West Virginia, and followed this vocation in West Virginia, Indiana andIllinois.n nBIOGRAPHY: In 1873 he came to Chicora and in company with his brothersbegan operating in the Millerstown oil field, striking his first wellonChristmas Day, 1873. He continued to be active in the oil industry,andthe Showalter Brothers became one of the largest producing organizationsin the state.n nBIOGRAPHY: While teaching he began reading medicine and spent the year of1883 at Long Island college hospital, Brooklyn, New York. He laterentered the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore, Md., wherehe was graduated March 4, 1884.n nBIOGRAPHY: He returned to Chicora and started practicing, and continuedhis professional duties for six years, retiring from practice in 1890. In1886 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the legislature andduring his term was a member of the committee on constitutional reform.In 1888 he was elected to the state senate. He was chosen on importantcommittees and secured the passage of the medical examination bill.Healso secured valuable oil legislation.n nBIOGRAPHY: He was elected to the United States senate from this districtand served in that capacity for two terms.n nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. Showalter was well known in the Butler district.n nBIOGRAPHY: He removed from Chicora to Pittsburgh and later to Washington,D. C.n nBIOGRAPHY: Surviving are his widow and two daughters, Mrs. A. W.McCandless of Pittsburgh and Mrs. Milton Leggett of Bradford Woods.n nBIOGRAPHY: THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., Monday, October 14, 1935.n nBIOGRAPHY: Writer Dies [Photo] [Caption:] DR. WILLIAM JOSEPH SHOWALTERn nBIOGRAPHY: DR. SHOWALTER, EDITOR, DIES AT 57 Funeral Is Set Tomorrow for Geographic Society Division Chiefn nBIOGRAPHY: Dr. William Joseph Showalter, chief of the Research Divisionof the National Geographic Society and a member of the editorial staff ofthe National Geographic Magazine for more than 21 years, died yesterdayat his home in the Ontario Apartments after a brief illness. He was 57.n nBIOGRAPHY: Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow at theresidence. Burial will be in Waynesboro, Va.n nBIOGRAPHY: Born in Dale Enterprise, Va., Dr. Showalter was educated atthe West Central Academy and Bridgewater College. He later receivedhonorary doctor degrees from Pennsylvania College and Bridgewater.n nBIOGRAPHY: Became Writer in 1898.n nBIOGRAPHY: After two years of teaching in the Virginia schools, Dr.Showalter began his newspaper career in 1898. He came to Washington in1901 and worked for a variety of newspapers and bureaus as reporter,special writer and editor. He served as correspondent in South Americaand the Canal Zone and was considered one of the outstanding writers ontheprogress of the Panama Canal.n nBIOGRAPHY: He joined the editorial staff of the National GeographicSociety in 1914 and specialized in writing popular presentations ofscientific and technical subjects. He was the author of "America�sAmazingRailway Traffic," "Battling With Panama Slides," "Coal�Ally ofAmerican Industry," "Exploring the Mysteries of Plant Life,""Interviewing the Stars," "Virginia�A Commonwealth That Has Come Back,"and many other articles in the National Geographic Magazine.n nBIOGRAPHY: He was decorated in 1912 by the Venezuelan government withtheOrder of Bolivar.n nBIOGRAPHY: Member of Three Clubs.n nBIOGRAPHY: Prominent among Washington newspaper men and authors, Dr.Showalter was a member of the National Press Club, the Cosmos Club andthe University Club. He belonged also to the Luther Place MemorialLutheran Church of Washington and to the Westmoreland Club of Richmond,Va. He was a member of the board of trustees of American University andchairman of a commission to draft a statement on the relationship betweenreligion and science for the United Lutheran Church in America.n nBIOGRAPHY: Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Effle Coyner Showalter; hismother, Mrs. D. B. Showalter; a sister, Miss Florence Showalter, andthree brothers, Bowman, Swope and Jacob Showalter.

b) GEDCOM file: Swabian Kastlers.ged