Alspaugh, John

John Wesley Alspaugh was a lawyer, editor, and civic leader in Winston-Salem, N.C.A key supporter of Trinity College (Randolph County, N.C), he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees and as a member of the Committee of Management, which ran the school from 1884 to 1887.

John Wesley Alspaugh was born July 22, 1831 in Winston-Salem, N.C. He earned a degree from Trinity College (Randolph County, N.C.) in 1855. Alspaugh studied law and began practice in Winston-Salem, where he also became editor of the Democratic paper, the Western Sentinel . In 1858, he was appointed chief clerk of the State Senate, and in 1877, helped establish the First National Bank of Winston. Interested in civic progress, Alspaugh served as the first mayor of Winston-Salem, and was a principal supporter of Trinity College. He became chairman of Trinity's Board of Trustees, and a member of the Committee of Management, which ran the school from 1884 to 1887. Alspaugh remained as chairman of the Board for twenty years.