Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-20
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the Assessor end the Recorder of
Deeds to determine where dis
tinguished national figures and
Washington citizens lived. His
accounts were very accurate in
detail and historians and biog-
raphers have found his articles
in The Star a godsend to their
work.
| He ran the Oldest Inhabitants
for years. This unique organi-
cation which meets every month
in the Old Union Engine House
at Nineteenth and H streets NV
was founded in 1865. T. w.
Moves. editor of The Star. be-
came president in 1919. Some
time before World War II his
health prevented his attendance
and Mr.. Proctor. as first vice
president. took over.
Elected President.
When Mr.. Noyes died in 1916.
Mr.. Proctor was unanimously
elected president. He used to
select topics for discuSsion-the
cable cars on Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. the old race tracks in the
District, the streams that used
to flow into the Potomac from
present District streets. He
would have the topic typed on
a postcard and sent to each
member. They would come to
the meetings prepared to tell
what they remembered.
The best testimony usually
came from Mr.. Proctor He
would save his for the last and
top them all. So graphic were
his descriptions that it was diff
f1cult to distinguish between
what he remembered seeing
and what he had been told OF
read about. His description Of
President Jefferson crossing the
flooded Tiber on his horse to get
to the Capitol in 1903. the horse
was almost swept away by the
volume of the stream. had an
eyewitness quality that caused
other old timers to ask:
Were you there. John?"
Married 65 Years.
On October 6. 1947, Mr. and
Mrs. Proctor observed their Goth
wedding anniversary. They were
at home in his comfortable brick
house on Jonqull street to more
than 100 friends.
On January "a, 1858, she fell
in her home and suffered a
broken hip. She was taken to
the Emergency Hospital. On the
next day, Mr.. Proctor, then "a,
fell in the house and also SUI
fered a broken hip. He was
taken to the same hospital. She
died there on February from
heart condition to which the fall
was a contributing factor. His
condition was such that he was
not informed immediately of his
wife's death. They had been
married IS years.
He returned to the Jonquil
street house but he apparently
had suffered a stroke and was
confined to his bed.
Father a Newspaperman.
Mr.. Proctor was born on
the north side of New York
avenue. between Sixth and
Seventh streets NV. on Novem-
Der Is, 1867. His father. a news
paperman. was working on a
story about a meteoric shower at
the time.
He was educated in public and
private schools here and at the
National University Law School.
where he took his bachelors de-
gree in 1893 and his masters
degree the following year. In
1899. the university awarded
him an honorary degree of doc
tor of laws.
But Mr.. Proctor never prac-
ticed law Instead. he became
a printer. going to work for the
Smithsonian Institution There
he developed his interest in his
tory--an interest that kept him
busy, often at his desk until 2
am. after his retirement.
Historic Sites Committee.
He served on the Historic
Sites Committee of the National
Capital from its formation in
1902. In this connection, he pre-
pared many booklets about his
toric sites.
Because of his work with the
committee. the Commissioners,
in the late 20s. named him chair
man of the Permanent Commit
tee on Marking Points of His
toric Interest.
He has held Office as chron-
icler of the Columbia Historical
Society. president. chronicler
and poet laureate OF the Asso-
citation of Oldest Inhabitants.
and chairman of the committee
on memorials. relics and archives
of the Masonic Veterans Asso-
citation.
He served on many inaugural
committees. He was chairman
OF the historic Sites Committee
for the Inauguration of President
Coolidge and vice chairman of
that committee for the first in