Dr James Gore King McClure

James Gore King McClure, served for twenty-five years as pastor of the Lake Forest Presbyterian Church and intermittently as president of Lake Forest College; from 1905 to 1929 he served as the first president of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Birth: Nov. 24, 1848 Albany Albany County New York, USA Death: Jan. 18, 1932, USA

The 1912 History of Lake County, IL states: "McClure was born in Albany NY Nov 24, 1848. He was graduated from Phillips Andover in 1866, from Yale College in 1870, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1873. He was pastor of the Presbyterian Church at New Scotland, NY from 1874 to 1881, and of the Presbyterian Church at Lake Forest from 1881 to 1905. In the latter year he was chosen President of McCormick Seminary at Chicago. He was president pro tempore of Lake Forest University in 1892, and president from 1897 to 1901. He was a trustee from 1889-1923.

He was married November 19, 1879 to Miss Annie P. Dixon, daughter of Governor Nathan F. Dixon of Rhode Island. He has published "Possibilities", "The Man Who Wanted to Help", "The Great Appeal", "Environment", "Hearts That Hope", "A Mighty Means of Usefulness", "Living for the Best", "The Growing Pastor", "Loyalty". He received the degree of D.D. from Lake Forest University in 1888.

His summer home is in Lake Forest at "Gienhame". His twenty-four years of pastoral service for the Lake Forest church covered a notable period, and had a large influence in the making of the social life of Lake Forest. He is a trustee of the University". p. 515.

The house at 487 Walnut Road was given to the McClure's after his retirement from the College in 1905. He returned to Lake Forest after serving at McCormick and lived here from 1928-1932.

McClure also promoted the creation of Triangle Park on Deerpath Road in Lake Forest and helped found the LF Library in 1899.

They had five children: Annie Dixon b 1881 m. Rev. Dumont Clarke and lived in West Asheville, NC; James Gore King, Jr. b 1884 m. Elizabeth Skinner Cramer in 1916; Harriet, b 1887 m Robert Douglas Stuart in 1913; Rev. Archibald b 1890 m Hazel Hotstettler; Nathan Dixon b 1897 m Louise Sheldon Olcott. Margie Stuart Hart, who donated the Dining Hall and Commons at Lake Forest College, is his granddaughter.

Source: Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections.