R.C. McCroskey was born in Tennessee on March 10, 1845. When the Civil War began, he entered on the Confederate side and served for two and one-half years as a commanding officer. Following the war, he returned to school and graduated from Croton College in Tennessee in 1868 and became a teacher. In 1870 he moved to California and engaged in farming and teaching. In 1873 he was elected county superintendent and served in that capacity for several years. He married Blanche Houston in 1882 in Tennessee. He relocated again, this time to Garfield, Washington. In 1890 he was chosen to represent the people in the state senate of Washington and served in Washington state politics for many years. He was appointed to the Washington State College Board of Regents for the first time in 1897 and served until 1905. In 1909 he was again appointed to the Board of Regents and served until his death in 1922. He lost his eyesight about 5 years before his death, but he continued to serve the State College that he was instrumental in helping to establish.
From the guide to the R.C. McCroskey Papers, 1917-1923, (Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections)
