Los Angeles County
Biographies
SAMUEL WYLIE
McNABB
Samuel Wylie McNabb, an outstanding representative of the legal profession in Los Angeles who has lived in California for about fifty years, has served as referee in bankruptcy in the United States district court of the southern district of California since March, 1933. He was born on a farm near Andrew, Iowa, December 18, 1868, his parents being James and Mary (Hogg) McNabb, the former born June 21, 1826, and the latter in the year 1828. Both the father and mother were of Scotch ancestry.
Samuel W. McNabb spent the first fourteen years of his life on the farm where he was born and was a youth of about eighteen years when graduated from high school at Maquoketa, Iowa. It was in 1886 that he crossed the continent to California, and during the forty-nine years of his residence in this state he has lived at different times in the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Bernardino. He learned the printing trade and devoted his attention to newspaper work until 1902, after which he entered public life, serving as deputy sheriff of San Bernardino county, California, for six years from 1903 until 1909. In the latter year he took up the practice of law, in which he has met with marked success. He was mayor of the city of San Bernardino from 1909 until 1911 and again from 1921 until 1925, thus filling the office altogether for three terms. For a period of eight years, beginning February 16, 1925, he served as United States district attorney in the southern district of California and then on the 1st of March, 1933, assumed the important duties of his present office as United States referee in bankruptcy in the southern district of California, with jurisdiction in Los Angeles county.
On the 20th of May, 1889, at San Bernardino, Mr. McNabb married Bertha M. Dunlap, who was there born in 1869 and came of English ancestry. On the 16th of June, 1916, at San Bernardino, Mr. McNabb was again married, his second union being with Alice L. Thompson, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, born November 15, 1882, who comes of Scotch ancestry. Her parents, Andrew and Viola M. Thompson, were also born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the former is now deceased. The mother of Mrs. McNabb resides at 1704 Ramona avenue in South Pasadena, California. Mr. McNabb has a daughter and a son: Mary Vera, who is the wife of Paul N. McCloskey, of South Pasadena, California; and James Wylie, residing at 1704 Ramona avenue in South Pasadena.
The political support of Mr. McNabb has always been given to the republican party. There is a military chapter in his life record, for on the 16th of April, 1898, he enlisted in Company K of the Seventh Infantry, California National Guard, of which he served as private, second lieutenant and captain, holding the latter rank for two or three years prior to his retirement in 1907. His religious faith is that of the Congregational Church, while fraternally he has been affiliated with the Masons since 1890 and also for many years with the Elks. His has been an active, useful and honorable career and all who know him entertain for him the highest respect and esteem.
Transcribed
3-21-13 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: California
of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages
681-682, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2013 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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BIOGRAPHIES