James W. Knott
James W. Knott, the Democratic nominee for state auditor returned home from Springfield at noon and has had many calls since, at his home on West Fourth Street, by friends who congratulate him upon the honor conferred upon him by the convention. Mr. Knott was born in Coshocton County, near West Beford, Aug. 14, 1853. His father, the Rev. James W. Knott, was a minister of the Presbyterian Church who moved his family to Richland County in 1853, about a year before his death. Mrs. Knott, who is yet living, and family, moved to Ashland County in 1867, where her son James spent his youth upon a farm. In 1873 Mr. Knott began teaching a country school but before he finished his first term he was elected principal of the grammar schools at Ashland where he remained until 1878. Meanwhile he prepared himself for studying privately in the freshman and sophomore course of the Wooster University and after one year as a student at the university he graduated in 1879 with the highest grade of his class. That same year Mr. Knott was elected superintendent of public schools at Tiffin where he remained eleven years. While at Tiffin he was unanimously elected professor of natural sciences by the Wooster University board in 1883 but he declined the position. In 1887 he was also elected superintendent of the public schools of Sandusky which he also declined. In 1890 Governor Campbell tendered him the position of superintendent of the deaf and dumb state institute at Columbus which he at first declined but was subsequently persuaded to accept and he remained at the head of that institution during Governor Campbell's administration. It was with a reference to his administration as superintendent of this institution that one of its graduates wrote during an investigation of his successor's administration, "Mr. Knott's administration is one bright spot in the history of that institution in the past ten years." In 1892 Mr. Knott was elected superintendent of the public schools of Wooster where he remained one year. During that year he was twice elected to positions in the Columbus schools which he declined. He was re-elected superintendent at Wooster at a higher salary than was ever before paid in that city but he declined as he was subsequently elected superintendent of the schools of Mansfield at a higher salary than was ever paid a superintendent of schools in this city. Of his work in this city the people of Mansfield are conversant. The schools are now in better condition than ever in the history of Mansfield and this is the fourth city in Ohio to have high school graduates admitted to the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor without examination, the other cities being Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo. Prof. Knott has also become a prominent instructor in institute work. Mr. Knott, while at Tiffin, married Miss Ettie Nyman, a daughter of Philetus Nyman, a retired manufacturer of that city, and they have a family of three bright children.
From Richland Shield & Banner: August 24, 1895, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 15
