John Montgomery (1727-1808)

John Montgomery was born in 1727 in Ireland and came to America as a teenager, settling in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Among the citizens of Carlisle, Montgomery was well-known as a man of many talents. Over the years he served variously as a storekeeper, farmer, soldier, lawyer, judge, and a politician. He gained respect as an heroic Indian fighter along the western frontier during the French and Indian Wars of the 1750s. Shortly thereafter he was elected sheriff of Cumberland County, the first of many local responsibilities with which he would be entrusted throughout his life.

Although advancing in age, Montgomery did not hesitate to uphold his patriotic duty during the Revolution. Attaining the rank of colonel, he fought with Robert Magaw at the Battle of Long Island and was captured at the surrender of Fort Washington. Within months, Montgomery was released and returned to Carlisle and became involved with the political scene. He was appointed to the Council of Safety and later became a member of both the state legislature and Congress.

Montgomery was known for his lack of formal education and direct manner of speaking; these characteristics are most evident in his writings. Nonetheless, Montgomery was a staunch supporter of education for the young men of the country. Along with Benjamin Rush, he would prove, after an early resistance, to be the strongest advocate of Dickinson College, and certainly the most active of the local trustees. John Montgomery served tirelessly as a member of the board of trustees from founding of the college in 1783 until his death in 1808. He also served as treasurer for the school during the last decade of his life, from 1798 to 1808.