John Clark Dore
John Clark Dore (March 22, 1822 – December 14, 1900) was an American educator and politician from New Hampshire. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Dore briefly taught in Boston, Massachusetts before he was recruited to come to Chicago, Illinois to serve as its first superintendent of school. Dore was also a successful merchant, serving as the vice president of the Chicago Board of Trade. He was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1868, where he helped to establish the Illinois Humane Society
John Clark Dore | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 24th district | |
| In office 1868 – 1872 | |
| Preceded by | Francis A. Eastman |
| 1st Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools | |
| In office 1854–1856 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | William H. Wells |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 22, 1822 Ossipee, New Hampshire |
| Died | December 14, 1900 (aged 78) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Educator, businessman |
Biography
John Clark Dore was born in Ossipee, New Hampshire, on March 22, 1822. He was first authorized to teach when he was seventeen. He matriculated at Dartmouth College when he was twenty-one, graduating in 1847. Dore was then named an assistant teacher in a public school in Boston, Massachusetts. He was elected principal of the Boylston school and attracted the attention of educators in Chicago, Illinois. In March 1854, the Chicago Board of Education hired Dore as its first superintendent of public schools.[1]
Dore resigned in 1856 so that he could pursue a business opportunity and was soon elected a member of the board of education. He served at one time as the president of the board. At the same time, he was succeeding in his business affairs. He was named vice president of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1866. He was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1868 as a Republican, serving for four years. He authored the laws for the establishment of the Illinois Humane Society and would serve as its president and director for several years.[1]
He assumed the presidency of the Commercial Insurance Company, then was named president of the Chicago Board of Underwriters in 1869. Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, he was named the president of the State Savings Institution, resigning in 1873. Dore also presided over the Newsboys' and Bootblacks' Home and donated a building to them in 1884.[1]
Dore married Annie B. Moulton on January 1, 1850. Their only son died in infancy.[1] He died at the Hotel Vendome in Boston on December 14, 1900, and was buried in the Herman Dore Farm Cemetery in Ossipee. The John C. Dore Elementary School in Chicago today bears his name.[1]
References
- Andreas, Alfred Theodore (1885). History of Chicago: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. II. Chicago, IL: The A. T. Andreas Company. p. 106.