Alexander Wade

On Saturday Dr. S. S. Wade received a telegram notifying him that his father was in a ho[sp]ital at Richmond, ill from an obstruction of the stomach that might require a surgical operation. Dr. Wade left at once for Richmond, and late today the news of his father's death was telegraphed to friends here and came as a great shock to all.

He was the eldest son of George and Anna Wade, and was born near Rushville, Indiana, February 1st, 1932; his parents were natives of Virginia, the former of Monongalia county. In 1839 the family moved to Monongalia county, where in 1846 his father died. Mr. Wade began teaching at 16 years of age, working in the summer and teaching in the winter, from that time until 1861 he made teaching his occupation. In 1852 he united with the Methodist Episcopal church and received a license as local preacher, in 1860. He was constituted a deacon by Bishop Clark in 1866 and ordained an elder in 1874 by Bishop Scott. In 1883 he was elected Lay delegate to the General Conference held in Philadelphia May 1884. He was married in 1854 to Hettie Sanders, daughter of John and Elizabeth Sanders, of Monongalia county, who survives him, with several children.

He was elected Clerk of the County Court of Monongalia county in 1861, and when the new State was created, and state office abolished, he was elected recorder of the county, which he held for the following eight years. In January 1871, he was elected Clerk of the County Board of Supervisors, and in the same year was made Principal of the Public Schools of Morgantown. In 1875, he was elected Superintendent of Schools of Monongalia county, and re-elected in 1877, and was connected with educational work for many years. He was the author of "Graduating System for County Schools," and read a paper on that subject before the National E[du]cational As[so]ciation at Philadelphia. In 1879 he wrote a book entitled "A Graduating System for Country Schools," and published it in 1881. He was Principal of the Morgantown Colored school in 1880. In 1884 he discussed by invitation "Supervision in Country Schools," before the National Association of School Superintendents, at Washington, D. C.

In June 1886, he was elected a member of the American Institute of Civics, at Boston, and was afterwards chosen one of its counsellors. From 1881 to 1884, he was largely engaged as a Lecturer and Institute instructor. Afterwards he was employed by the publishers in the sale of unabridged and intermediate dictionaries, and at the time of his death was the agent of one of the great publishing houses in Virginia, which he successfully held for a number of years.

Education