In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1909) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio (1909), Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897)
EORGE R. YOUNG, senior member of the legal firm of Young & Young, and one of the most prominent members of the Dayton bar, was born in this city on October 2, 1857, and is the son of the late Edmond Stafford Young and Sarah (Dechert) Young.
Mr. Young was educated in the Dayton public schools, graduating with honors from the Central high school in 1875. He was valedictorian of his class, and also received the gold medal for best scholarship. After taking an additional course from private tutors, he read law in the office of his father, until his admission to the bar in April, 1878. He was admitted by the court (after passing on the question of his eligibility) some months before he reached his majority, and was probably at the time the youngest attorney in the state.
Immediately after his admission to the bar, he was taken in as a member of his father’s firm, which thereupon became Young, Gottschall & Young, and subsequently Young & Young, as stated in the preceding sketch of E. S. Young. While absent in the east in 1 88 1, Mr. Young was, without his solicitation or knowledge, nominated by the republican party for prosecuting attorney of Montgomery county. He made the race against a strong and popular candidate, and an adverse majority of over a thousand, but was defeated by only a few hundred votes. In 1885 he received the republican nomination for city solicitor, but the city then being largely democratic, he was again defeated by a small majority. Since this time he has never been a candidate for political office, attending strictly to the practice of his profession, and giving it all his time and attention, and he has met with marked and well merited success. He has taken a leading part in the trial of many important cases, and is recognized by the profession both as %a sound and able lawyer, and as an advocate of superior ability.
In the fall of 1894, Mr. Young’s name was suggested to the governor as a successor to Judge John A. Shauck, about to leave the circuit for the supreme bench, and a petition for his appointment was circulated. This petition was signed by every member of the Dayton bar, save one, who, having already recommended another aspirant, wrote a personal letter withdrawing his support and endorsing Mr. Young. Owing to want of time, in case of appointment, to close up his private practice, Mr. Young subsequently withdrew from the contest.
Mr. Young is a charter member of the Dayton club. He was one of the founders of the Dayton Literary union, which flourished for many years, and was the first president of the present High School Alumni association.
He has been for years a trustee, and is now vice-president of the Dayton Law Library association, and is a member of the Ohio State and American Bar associations.
As printed in Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
GEORGE R. YOUNG.
In the history of the legal profession in Montgomery county the name of Young has now figured prominently for nearly sixty years, for during that period, the father, Edmond Stafford Young and the sons, George R. and William H. Young, have successively and continuously been leading members of the Dayton bar. And, in the course of time, it has come to pass that the firm name “Young
& Young,” under which the brothers are still associated and which has now existed for over thirty years, has become the oldest in use among Dayton lawyers.
George R. Young, one of Dayton’s native sons, was born in that city, October 2, 1857. He obtained his education in the Dayton public schools, having graduated from the Central high school (now the Steele high school) in 1875 as valedictorian of his class and having received a gold medal for scholarship. For a time he then studied under private tutors, but soon took up the study of the law in the office of his father Edmond Stafford Young, a sketch of whose life precedes.
He was admitted to the bar in April, 1878, and was probably at the time the youngest attorney in Ohio, having been admitted some months before reaching his majority. Mr. Young has made the practice of law his life work, and without any of those digressions which result from office holding or lengthy vacations, he has pursued it steadily ever since his admission with a diligence and ability which have both merited and achieved success.
Mr. Young is recognized as a sound lawyer and a forcible and convincing speaker, either before the court or jury, and his unusual command of pure and correct English always secures and retains for him close attention and careful consideration. His firm has always enjoyed a large and representative clientage, having been retained in many of the leading cases tried in the courts of Montgomery and adjoining counties. For the last ten years the brothers have been located in their own building, the Young Building, where their handsome suite of offices is widely celebrated for its commodious size and the unusual perfection of its arrangement and equipment.
Mr. Young was president of his local bar association when little more than thirty years of age, and he has been for years a member of both the Ohio State and American Bar Associations. Ever since his father’s death, in 1888, he has been a trustee of the Dayton Law Library Association, having succeeded his father in that position, and during that period he has been either its treasurer or vice-president.
Mr. Young is popular, not only in his profession but among a large circle of friends in his native city, where he enjoys the respect and esteem of the entire community. He is a charter member of the Dayton Club, was the first president of the High School Alumni Association and one of the founders and supporters of the Dayton Literary Union, which flourished for many years in Dayton. He has always been interested in literature and the diffusion of useful knowledge and is now the president of the Dayton Astronomical Society, formed to promote the study of astronomy and kindred sciences.
In politics Mr. Young has always been a republican, but never a politician in the sense of seeking office as a reward for party fealty. While absent in the east in 1881, without his solicitation or knowledge, his party nominated him for prosecuting attorney of Montgomery county. Remaining on the ticket with reluctance, notwithstanding a customary democratic majority of more than a thousand he was beaten by only a few hundred votes. In 1885 he was again nominated for office, this time for city solicitor of Dayton. The city was then reliable democratic, and though he ran far ahead of his ticket he was again defeated by a small majority. Since then he has neither held nor sought political office, confining his attention entirely to his professional duties.
As printed in History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: E. S. Young (b. 1827) Edmond Stafford Young (b. 1827)
Their biographies name George R. Young: Oscar M. Gottschall William H. Young (b. 1860) Oscar M. Gottschall (b. 1843)
The printed record stops around 1909. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.