"In dedicating the May issue of the Bulletin, we have chosen one of the most prominent men among our younger alumni, Hon. John Clark Knox, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

John Clark Knox was born in Waynesburg, Pa., October 13, 1881, a son of P. A. Knox, a lawyer of local prominence. His father died when the son was ten years of age, but, owing to financial reverses, left but a small estate. The mother was left with the burden of caring for and educating four children, of which John Clark Knox was the youngest. He determined to aid his mother, and while attending Public School devoted his spare time to the sale of newspapers, establishing a newspaper route for that purpose, and continued in this work during his Public School and College Preparatory education. At the age of seventeen he obtained a position with a local railroad company. In that position his working hours were from 7 o'clock in the evening until 3 o'clock in the morning. His duties were such as to permit him to prepare for the following day's recitations at Waynesburg College and to attend his classes there between eight o'clock in the morning and three o'clock in the afternoon each day. He continued this for a period of two college years, and during the remainder of his college course supported himself by leasing oil and gas lands and working as a laborer with a pick and shovel.

In June, 1902, he was graduated cum laude from Waynesburg College, receiving the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, and was thereupon employed by the Crucible Steel Company of America in its general offices at Pittsburgh for several months, when he returned to Waynesburg and registered as a student of law with Hon. James Inghram, a former judge of Greene County, in whose offices he read law, and obtained experience in a country practice. He was elected a Justice of the Peace for Greene County in January, 1903. He continued his law studies in the office of Judge Inghram until the fall of 1903, when he entered the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania, and shortly afterward was admitted to practice in this state.

On October 27, 1908 he was married to Jane Elizabeth Mealy, daughter of Rev. John M. Mealy. Mrs. Knox is also an alumnus of Waynesburg College, Class of 1905. They have one daughter, Martha Augusta Knox.

In September 1905, at the suggestion of John B. Clark, of New York City, he accepted a position with The Title Guarantee & Trust Company of that city. Soon after he was able to pass the bar examination and was admitted to the New York Bar. He remained with The Title Guarantee & Trust Company until September, 1913, when he was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and was placed in charge of the Inter-Commerce matters until 1914, when he took over the investigation of German activities in that District. His ability in this important work and notably in the Hamburg American Line cases, the bomb conspiracy and the spy cases, attracted the attention of his chief, United States Attorney H. Snowden Marshall, and in 1916 he became head of the Criminal Department of that office and rendered extremely valuable and important services.

His record as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, during a period of nearly five years, brought him to the favorable attention of the Attorney General of the United States, who recommended him to President Wilson as highly qualified for the position of a Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, to which position he was appointed by President Wilson in March, 1918. His appointment was gratifying to every lawyer and layman who had known or who ever come in contact with the appointee, and his record since his elevation to the Bench, has been the envy and admiration of everyone whether lawyer or litigant.

Waynesburg College is justly proud of the achievements of this most worthy son. It gives us exceptional pleasure, also, to announce that he has consented to deliver the Commencement address to the Class of 1930, the class to which his nephew and namesake, John Knox, Jr., belongs."