1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 751
in the same line of business at ]\larshallto\vn, Iowa, where he lived
until his death in 1896.
P. G. Phillips was the third in a family of six children. He acquired
his early education in the public schools of Marshalltown, Iowa, and
as a youth served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade. That
trade was his regular occupation from 1890 to 1910. In the latter
year he became manager of a general co-operative store at West
Duluth, and handled the affairs of that business very successfully
until February, 1917.
Mr. Phillips was first elected an alderman, representing the Eighth
Ward in the city of Duluth in 1912. He was in that office a year and
a half before the commission form of government was adopted. In
1917 he was chosen commissioner of the Board of Public Utilities,
and since then has spent practically all his time with the affairs of
his office. Mr. Phillips is an able speaker, has a great amount of
information on everything connected with the government of Duluth,
and- is well qualified in a literary way and has frequently discussed
subjects of current interest in the local press, especially through the
columns of the Duluth Herald.
Mr. Phillips is a member of several of the leading fraternal orders.
He is unmarried.
N. A. Young is a wholesome type of the modern educator, and was
keenly alive to the great responsibilities he carried as county superintendent
of schools of St. Louis county.
Teaching and school administration has constituted his life work.
He was born on a farm at Bismarck, Illinois, on August 2, 1874, son
of James L. and Nancy A. (Silvey) Young, being of Scotch ancestry
in the paternal line and English and Irish through his mother. He
is the oldest of four living children. His father was also a native of
Illinois, and spent his active life as a general farmer and died at Dan-
ville, that state. He strenuously objected to holding any office,
though he endeavored to exercise an intelligent interest in public
affairs. He was a member of the Christian Church.
N. A. Young attended the rural schools of his home community
to the eighth grade, and then had his first experience as a teacher in
a country school. He continued his higher education in the Illinois
State Normal University, spending four years in that institution and
graduating in 1901. For one year he was principal of a ward school
in Hoopeston, Illinois, for two and a half years was principal of the
high school at Bement, leaving there in the middle of the year to
become superintendent of a small system of schools at Deland, Illinois,
early in 1902.
Mr. Young came to Minnesota in the fall of 1902 and for five years
was principal of the schools at Soudan and for two and a half years
superintendent at Aurora. He has been connected with the general
school work of St. Louis county since February. 1910, when he was
made assistant superintendent. In the fall of that year he was elected
county su})erintendent. and held that office until .\ugust 1. 1920. when
he resigned in order to give all his time to the Duluth School of Business,
of which institution he is president and part owner.
Many important changes and improvements were made under his
administration. The outstanding feature was the gradual centralization
in control of schools in the County l^oard of Education, 'iliis
is now the vital center and lieart of the county system of education,
though in 1911, when Mr. ^'()ung became superintendent, the office