James Edward Scobey (January 3, 1834 - July 6, 1923) was an American educator who led several schools in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Early life and career

Scobey was born in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Wilson County, Tennessee Wilson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is in Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 147,737. Its county seat is Lebanon. The largest city is Mt. Juliet. Wilson County is part of the Nashville-Davids ...

on January 3, 1834. He studied at Franklin College on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. He began his teaching career in 1855 in his home county. He taught for five years at Union Academy, six miles east of Lebanon. He opened a school on the turnpike between Lebanon and

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

in February 1867. He dubbed his establishment "Oakland School," and he taught here until 1872. In 1872, Scobey joined Murfreesboro Female Institute, also known as the Scobey School. He remained employed by this educational establishment until 1884. Later in 1884, he became the president at

South Kentucky College South Kentucky College, originally South Kentucky Institute and later renamed McLean College, was a finishing school for girls founded in 1849 that became a co-educational college before closing by 1914, located in Belmont Hill in Hopkinsville, ...

Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census was 31,180. History Early years The area of p ...

. In 1891, Scobey moved to

Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020 Uni ...

and started working for Williamson County.

Personal life

He married and had several children, some of whom followed him into the teaching profession. After his first wife's death, he married again. Teacher and state legislator Edward Sweatt was his maternal grandfather.

Death

Scobey died of old age on July 6, 1923. He is buried in the

Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville) Mount Olivet Cemetery is a cemetery located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is located approximately two miles East of downtown Nashville, and adjacent to the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Calvary Cemetery. It is open to the public during daylight ...

Publications

*''Franklin College and Its Influences''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scobey, James E. 1834 births 1923 deaths Founders of American schools and colleges People from Lebanon, Tennessee 19th-century American educators Schoolteachers from Tennessee Heads of universities and colleges in the United States