Dr. James W. Skelton

James W. Skelton, Jr.

[]

Dr. James W. Skelton was born in Coshocton, Ohio on June 10, 1913. He graduated at the top of his class from Sacred Heart High School in Coshocton. In addition to being a young scholar, he was a star on the basketball team as well as an accomplished tennis player. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Arts degree from The Ohio State University, but the Second World War interrupted his work on a doctorate degree.

Dr. Skelton enlisted in the United States Navy immediately after Pearl Harbor Day. He married Florence Lee in December 1942, a marriage that lasted over 56 years. Dr. and Mrs. Skelton had two children, Angela, who was born in 1944, and James, who was born in 1946. Angela and James became well educated like their father and chose to become a doctor and a lawyer, respectively. Dr. and Mrs. Skelton had one grandchild, Matthew Skelton, who was born in 1980.

Dr. Skelton became a Second Lieutenant and was stationed on Guam from 1943 to 1945. Shocked by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he became an outspoken critic of the U.S. government's decision to carry out the bombings. After the war ended, he resumed his formal education at The Ohio State University and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1947.

The first year of Dr. Skelton's college teaching career was spent at the University of Buffalo, after which he took a job as a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. He became very well known in Philadelphia as a result of his regular participation on the city's speaking circuit and frequent appearances on many radio and TV shows. His classes were always filled to the rafters due to his engaging teaching style and challenging approach. Somehow, he found time to attend law school at Rutgers University, where he earned an LL.B. degree. Over the years, Dr. Skelton also taught at Duquesne University, Arizona State University and Trenton State University.

Being very much a Renaissance man, Dr. Skelton did not limit himself to teaching. He was a voracious reader and a writer at heart, penning everything from a novel and his own textbooks, including one on Pennsylvania law, to dramatic plays and popular songs. He also acted in and directed Shakespearean plays as an outgrowth of his deep interest in the playwright's most famous works. He was also very appreciative of the fine arts and a fan of accomplished actors, artists, musicians and athletes.

Dr. Skelton fought for the underdog and supported just causes as a natural part of his humanist belief system. He viewed Thomas Paine as a man of honor who had been misrepresented in American history. He spent several years compiling information and researching Paine's life and writings. His book, entitled "Tom Paine: The Founding Father America Disowned," was published in 1992. It is clearly Dr. Skelton's most important work and it is reflective of his determination to remind his beloved country of Tom Paine's rightful place as one of America's most important and unselfish founding fathers.

Dr. Skelton died on February 16, 1999 in Zanesville, Ohio after a long illness.