William F. Knox, born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, in 1831, became a prominent physician in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and a founding member of the Allegheny Medical Society. His mother, Sarah Knox, died in 1833, leaving his father, David Knox, to look after the family. William's family continued to grow following his father's marriage to Rebekah Page. The couple had eleven children, one of whom, Philander Chase Knox, would become a distinguished lawyer and politician, working for Carnegie Steel Company and serving in the presidential cabinets of McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft. William chose a to pursue a career in medicine, attending medical school at the University of Pennsylvania after receiving his bachelor's degree from Allegheny College. Upon graduating with his medical degree in 1854, William began practicing medicine in Snowden Township (now known as South Park Township), Pennsylvania, but relocated to McKeesport the following year. In 1856, he married Elizabeth Kiddoo, and together they had six children, though only three would survive childhood. Following Elizabeth's death in 1872, he married Mary Paul Miller. In 1865, William and fellow physicians organized the Allegheny Medical Society, where he served as president in 1889. William F. Knox died in McKeesport on November 12, 1915.
From the description of Papers of William F. Knox, 1827-1915. (University of Pittsburgh). WorldCat record id: 31467642
