Per HISTORY OF OGLE COUNTY 1894:

NEWCOMER, ALPHONSO GERALD---Alphonso Gerald Newcomer was born at Mt. Morris, Illinois, September 13, 1864, being the eldest son of HENRY F. NEWCOMER and ELIZABETH ANN (KNODLE) NEWCOMER, and a descendant of WOLFGANG NEWCOMER, who emigrated from Switzerland to America, landing at Philadelphia, about 1725. The grandfather, MANUEL NEWCOMER, was a miller in Loudoun County, VA., at the time of his father's birth in 1815. The father, HENRY, came west before 1850, settling in Mount Morris, was twice married, and was a cabinet-maker by trade, in later life becoming a grocer. Alphonso recieved his primary education in the Mount Morris Public School under such teachers as Mrs. Crawford, (then Miss. Hoverland), Miss. Sadie Black, Miss. Anna Knight, Mr. Piper, Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman, graduating under the latter, later attending Mount Morris College under the instruction of Professor Jenks, Sanford, Locy, Burnett, and others, and finally spent three years at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he graduated in 1887. He held a Fellowship in the Classics at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., and recieved the degree of Master of Arts in 1888. He married CARRIE M. JACKSON, of Oregon, Illinois, September 23, 1887. Mr. Newcomer was Principle of Mount Morris Public School from January to June, 1889, Instructor in Latin and French at Knox College, Galesburg, (1889-91), and has been Professor of English Literature in the Leland Stanford Jr., University at Palo Alto, California, since 1891. His work has been wholly in educational and literary lines; has acted as editor of various text books for school use, and is Author of "English Composition," "Elements of Rhetoric," "History of American Literature," "History of English Literature," etc... He is now engaged upon a translation of Pindar and a book of "Stories from the Past." He has two children, ERVAL JACKSON NEWCOMER, born May 5, 1890;...and MABEL NEWCOMER, born July 7, 1891. He made a trip to Europe in 1902, accompanied by his wife. In 1906, he and his son made a voyage around the world, going westward and visiting Japan and China on the way. The family have also visited Yellowstone Park, British Columbia, Puget Sound, and other places of interest. Mrs. Newcomer's favorite occupation is flower gardening, which the soil and climate of her Palo Alto home peculiary favor. Professor Newcomer likes to spend his summer vacations in camping, fishing, and mountain climbing. His favorite study is Dante. For light reading he prefers books of travel. His son is an enthusiastic entomologist, and already has a large collection of Butterflies and insects. His Daughter is an ardent reader of History. While on their return from their trip around the world, Professor Newcomer and his son stopped for a stay with his Mother and Family at Mount Morris, Illinois. This was at the time of the Graduation exercises of the Oregon High School, Mr. George C. Griswold, the Superintendent of the Oregon Schools at the time, had been a student at Knox College under the Instruction of Professor Newcomer, and invited him to address the graduating class of that year, the Class of 1906. This commencement address was regarded as so admirable by those who heard it, that a part of it, which had been preserved, was afterwards published by a friend of the speaker for private circulation. An extract from this charming little publication would be added here, did space permit...