McAlister, John Worth, 1874-1909

John Worth McAlister, born in Asheboro, N.C., educated at the Orange County and Asheville locations of the Bingham School, 1889-1891; the University of North Carolina, 1892-1895; and the Lowell Textile School, 1897-1899; whose career in textile manufacture in Winston-Salem was cut short when he died of appendicitis at the age of 35.

From the description of John Worth McAlister papers, 1881-1973 [manuscript]. WorldCat record id: 25814037

John Worth McAlister (1874-1909) was the son of Colonel and Mrs. A. C. McAlister of Asheboro, N.C. He was educated at the Bingham School, at both its Asheville and Orange County locations, and taught at the school for two years after his graduation from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1895. In 1897, McAlister continued his education at the Lowell Textile School in Lowell, Mass., where he studied fabric chemistry and other subjects related to the production of textiles.

McAlister's studies at Lowell prepared him for a career in textile manufacture, which he started as secretary of the Worth Cotton Mills, working out of Greensboro, N.C. Around 1906, he moved to Winston-Salem, N.C. A promising career in textiles and as a community leader, especially in the Presbyterian church, was cut short when McAlister succumbed to a sudden attack of appendicitis at the age of 35.

McAlister was the husband of Margaret Hines McAlister of Mount Airy, N.C. The couple had three children, two of whom--Adelaide and John Worth, Jr.--survived their father.

From the guide to the John Worth McAlister Papers, 1881-1973, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)