John Gannon Biography

John Gannon, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was born at Toronto, Canada, in 1842; when two years old his parents moved to Wyoming County, New York, where he attended the public schools and received the first courses in his education; he afterwards attended the State Normal School at Albany. At the breaking out of the war he answered the call and enlisted July 29, 1861, and served exactly three years in the Army of the Potomac, in the First Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Corps. When he again entered the walks of civilian life fie turned his attention to educational matters; he taught school in New Orleans in 1871-72, following which he taught for eight years in Texas, being Principal of the Third Ward school in San Antonio, Texas, in 1879. In 1880 he came to Montana and took up his residence at Glendale, where he was Principal of the public schools for three years, and the two years following held the same position in the Dillon schools, and was chosen County Superintendent of Schools for Beaverhead County; later he removed to Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, being Principal of the public schools there until his election to his present position at the first State election held October 1, 1889. He was nominated at the Republican Convention which met in Anaconda in August. He moved to Helena and assumed his duties on the admission. He is married and has an interesting family.