W.H. Gemmill

GEMMILL, RICHARDS

Posted By: S. Ferrall (email)
Date: 12/22/2003 at 22:48:09

W.H. GEMMILL.
Secretary of the Iowa State Board of Education, was born in Ontario, Canada, March 14, 1871. In September of that year his parents moved to Keokuk county, Iowa, and settled on a farm near South English. He attended the rural schools and graduated from the South English high school in 1889. He entered the Iowa state college at Ames and graduated in November 1894, with the degree of bachelor of science. During these years, he taught several terms in country schools. He has taken educational work in history and economics in Highland Park college, Drake university and Des Moines college. He was principal of schools at Gibson, Iowa, two and one-half years; county superintendent of Keokuk county four years; superintendent of schools at Dallas Center 1901 to 1911, and superintendent of the Carroll schools 1914 to 1917 and resigned to become secretary of the board of educaton. He was married in 1895 to Birdie D. Richards. They have four children, Agnes, John, Helen and Iva.
-source: Iowa Official Register, 1927-1928; Biographies of State Officials.