Alvin Buell Noble (1862-1936)

NOBEL, BARCLAY, SAVIN, HAXBY, JONES

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 7/25/2010 at 22:28:22

Ames Daily Tribune and Times, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, September 24, 1936.

PROF. A. B. NOBEL OF IOWA STATE DIES

ENGLISH TEACHER ILL WEEK; VICTIM OF HEART DISEASE

Head Of Department For Thirty-Two Years

Alvin Buell Noble, who would have been 74 years old Saturday, professor at Iowa State college for 35 years and head of the English department for 32, died at his home at 2154 Lincoln way at 7:30 a. m., Thursday. Professor Noble had been ill since a week ago Monday and death was attributed to coronary thrombosis, a heart disease.

Death came as a shock to students and teachers at Iowa State, for the aged and beloved professor had been in fair health during the summer.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Saturday from the Congregational church, with the Rev. A. R. McLaughlin in charge. Burial will be in the college cemetery.

Professor Noble came to Iowa State as head of the then small English department and professor of rhetoric and English, served as head of the department until 1929 and continued to teach until just before his death.

Born On Farm

He was born on a farm near Mt. Pleasant on Sept. 26, 1862 of pioneer parents in that community. His father made the trip on foot from his home in Ohio to view the land in this vicinity, selected a homestead, and returned to Ohio to get his family.

Professor Noble's parents were keenly interested in education and this interest was carried on by their son.

After attending the country schools near his home, Noble went to Howe's academy at Mt. Pleasant, and graduated in 1883. He then went to the University of Iowa, where he ranked second in the graduating class of 1887. He took graduate work at the university, attended the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago for five years and returned to the University of Iowa to receive a doctor of philosophy degree in 1891.

Writes Papers

While at the state university he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa, honorary scholastic fraternity, when the chapter was organized.

Professor Noble started his career of teaching at his former school, Howe's academy, serving there one year from 1882 to 1883. He then taught at the Bellevue high school for one year, at the Michigan Agricultural college at East Lansing, Mich., for nine years and came to Iowa State in the fall of 1898.

During his service to Iowa State, the English department grew from a staff of four teachers to a group of more than [unreadable], and numerous courses on subjects relative to English were added to the curriculum. Professor Noble also wrote a number of papers on English during his years here.

Active In Church

He was one of the most active workers in the First Congregational church here for many years, and served as a member of the church board and on numerous committees.

He was married to Miss Cora Barclay at West Liberty in 1890. The Nobles resided at their present home since moving to Ames in 1898.

Surviving him are his wife, one son Barclay of Los Angeles, Cal; three daughters, Mrs. W. H. Savin of Washington, D. C., Mrs. C. D. Haxby of Crossett, Ark. and Mrs. Ira Jones of Omaha, Neb.; also 10 grandchildren.

Ames Daily Tribune and Times, Friday, September 25, 1936.

Noble Funeral At 1:15 P. M. Saturday

Funeral services for Prof. A. B. Nobel will be held at 1:15 p. m. Saturday, instead of at 2 p. m., as announced on another page of this issue.