 | Charles Lamont Fox
1899-1989 |
| |
Charles Lamont Fox and family
C. L. Fox and Geneva Demarest
Our principal and his first wife
The information contained in this
biography was all obtained from public
records, most of which can be found
online. Many of you know that I do family history
research, both for myself and for others. In working on my own
family, I found a listing in the city directory for my
great grandaunt, Anna Mechlin Weeter and her husband John.
One of their boarders in 1924 was Charles L. Fox. I
knew Charles Fox as a principal, both as a student
and a teacher, but know nothing of him as a person. I thought it might be interesting to find out more about him.
Births
1899
Charles Lamont Fox was born in Trumbull Co. OH on Feb. 2 1899. His parents are shown as Rev. C. J. Fox (1876-1933)
and Blanche L. Steere (1876- ). They were married 27 Jan 1895, in Trumbull Co., OH. Both were living in Fowler, Ohio,
at the time. They had no other children. [Ed: see 1900
census below.]
1907
Alpha Geneva Demarest was born in 1907 in Delaware,
Ohio. Her parents were Fred B. Demarest (1884-1959),
and Blanch VanSickle (1880-1962). Geneva’s
sister, Martha, was born Oct. 5, 1910,
and died in Springfield 7 Jul 2003.
1900 Census
Fox
Family
There is a census record for a Charles J. Fox, minister, and
Blanche Fox living in Marietta, Ohio,
with Louis and Sarah Zesiger. One child,
a daughter Laura, is also listed with a birth date of Feb. 1899. This is the also the birth date of Charles
Lamont Fox. [Ed: Possible error of census
taker or person (Zesiger) giving the information, as the marriage year for
Charles J. and Blanche is also wrong.]
1910 Census
Fox
family
In 1910 Charles L. Fox, age 11, was living with his parents,
Charles J. and Blanche Fox, at E. 90th
street, in Cleveland,
OH. His
name is listed as Lamont. Both parents
were born in Ohio, but the birthplace
of Charles' (elder) parents is shown as Germany
[Ed:
his burial information,
findagrave.com) shows his father was
born in Ireland].
His occupation is clergyman.
Demarest
family
This same year Geneva Demarest, age 3, was living with her parents, Frederick and
Blanche Demarest, in Delaware,
OH. Frederick
is shown in the 1910 census as having been born in Kansas;
Blanche was born in Ohio, and
they had been married for four years. Frederick
was a clerk in a railway office. Also
living with them at this time were Alfred VanSickle, father-in-law, age 74;
Florence VanSickle, sister-in-law, age 23; and Alpha VanSickle, sister-in-law,
age 15. [Ed: from this I assume that Blanche's mother was
deceased.]
1920 Census
Fox
family
In 1920 Charles and his parents are living in Westerville,
Franklin County, Ohio. Again, Charles J.
is shown as a clergyman, but his parents are now listed as having been born in Ireland,
though he was born in Ohio. [Ed:
This difference may be dependent upon who supplied information to the census taker.]
Charles Lamont is 20 years old and
is not employed. The home was rented.
Demarest family
The Demarest family were now
living at 108 S. Greenmount Ave.,
in Springfield. Geneva
was 13 years old and her sister, Martha, was 9 years old. The father, Fredrick was a clerk in the
foreman’s office of the CCC & St. L.
Railroad. [1920 city directory]
Other records for
1910 to 1930
Charles
L. Fox
In 1916 Fox entered Otterbein
College. In addition to his
studies, he was a basketball player and was involved with the Student Army
Training Corps formed in the spring of 1918.
His draft registration for WW1 on Sept. 11th 1918, shows him to be employed by the SATC of the US
Army, at Ft. Sheridan, IL.
He was discharged a month after the end of WW 1. His record shows that his permanent address
at the time was 76 W. Park St., Westerville,
Ohio.
He enlisted on Oct. 18th, 1918; was born in Wildare, Ohio,
Feb. 23rd, 1899; served in the SATC at Otterbein College as a
private, and was honorably discharged Dec. 11th, 1918.
He spent 1919 helping
train the SATC at Otterbein. The photo
below is from the 1920 Otterbein yearbook; the text which accompanies the photo
gives information about his college years.
Sometime between 1920, when he graduated from Otterbein
College, and 1923, when he first
appears as a faculty member at Springfield
High School, Charles Fox was
studying at Columbia University, New
York. His
faculty photo in the 1927 yearbook lists his degrees: B. A. Otterbein, 1920; M.A. Columbia 1922. At this time he was teaching chemistry; other
years he is shown as a mathematics teacher.
It is possible that he was studying at the Teachers College of Columbia
University for two years. [Ed:
This is supposition, but seems likely.
In the past, masters programs were usually two years long.]
Teachers College 1894
(From: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/abouttc/timeline/)
Teachers College today
In 1923 he first appears in the Springfield
city directory: “Chas
L. Fox tchr
High School, rms 153 W. College
Av.” Charles Fox appears in the 1924
Herald [Ed: the
yearbook name at the time] of Springfield
High School as a faculty member,
teaching mathematics. He is not listed
in the 1920, 1921, or 1922 city directories.
The 1920-23 Heralds did not include faculty. The city directory for 1924 shows him as a
high school teacher living at 114 W. College Ave. The photo below is from the Faculty page of
the 1924 yearbook.
Geneva Demarest
Geneva Demarest was a senior at Springfield
High School in 1924. She was living with her parents at 115
N. Clairmont Ave.
She was in the senior play and a member of the Forum Debating Society. The
photo below is from the 1924 yearbook.
1930 Census
(to be continued)