R/RFHA Newsletter, December 1996  p.47

From "History of Boone County, Missouri; compiled from authentic official and private sources. - reprinted 1970.pp 938-941

Dr. A.W. ROLLINS

"Dr. ANTHONY WAYNE ROLLINS was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, March 5, 1783. His father, HENRY ROLLINS, was a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, and came to America during the Revolutionary War, in which he took a part on the side of the Colonies. Among other engagements in which he participated he was at the battle of Brandywine. Dr. ROLLINS was reared amidst the disadvantages of poverty, and was thrown at an early age upon his own resources to fight the battle of life."

(From here on excerpts of the text. )

He worked on farms even as a child and sporadically attended the primitive schools of the time, eventually becoming a schoolmaster himself. He saved his earnings so as to attend Jefferson College, at Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, where he graduated. In 1803-4 he went to Bourbon, Fayette and Madison Counties in Kentucky, teaching school and studying to be a doctor. In Richmond, KY, he first practiced medicine, which is the county seat of Madison County, and he remained there for 25 years. In April of 1811 he married Sallie Harris Rhodes, dtr. of Judge Robert Rhodes, a prominent citizen of Madison County. Seven children resulted from this marriage but this article names only JAMES S., the eldest - ELIZA, the second - and SARAH, the 7th ... all of whom were alive at the time of the original printing of the "History of Boone County, Missouri". In 1830, in failing health, Dr. ROLLINS decided to move his family and himself to Missouri, settling in Boone County. He purchased land and became a farmer for the rest of his days, passing on Oct. 9, 1845, aged 63. He was first buried in the family cemetery, and later moved to the Columbia Cemetery, along with his wife. Dr. ROLLINS took a great interest in the establishment of schools and the education of the young. He helped establish the State University and in his will he set up a 'ROLLINS Aid Fund' for the aid of the indigent and poor children of the community, male and female. Later his son, JAMES, continued that work.

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JAMES S. ROLLINS

JAMES was born in April of 1812 in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky, the eldest of seven children of Dr. ANTHONY WAYNE ROLLINS and his wife Sallie Harris Rhodes. He was educated well and in 1827 entered Washington College, Pennsylvania, and at the end of his junior year entered the University of Indiana at Bloomington, graduating in 1830. As his parents and siblings had moved to Missouri from Kentucky by this time, he joined them. He read law under the Hon. Abiel Leonard, and spent two years at the Transylvania Law School in Lexington, KY, graduating in 1834, beginning his practice in Columbia, Missouri. He served for a time in the Black Hawk Indian War, and in 1837 he married Mary E. Hickman. They had eleven children.

JAMES ROLLINS commenced his public career in 1838 as the Whig candidate for the state legislature, serving two terms from 1838-1842. He was politically active in his party and in 1846 was elected to the State Senate, serving off and on, running for governor twice but being defeated due to the large Democratic majority in the state. In 1860 he was elected to congress from the 9th District, and sided with the Union in votes before the outbreak of the Civil War. He voted for and advocated the 13th amendment abolishing slavery, although at the time he was the largest slave holder in Boone County. He declined to run for Congress in 1864, later winning election once again to the state legislature.

Throughout his public career JAMES ROLLINS was a consistent and passionate advocate for public education and the establishment of state schools and universities, including Agricultural and Mechanic establishments. He is called the "Father of the University of Missouri".

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Residence: Dallas Co., TX