Durham, N. N.  "Spokane and the Inland Empire: History of the City of Spokane
and Spokane County Washington."  Vol. 2.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1912.

NOAH DAVID SHOWALTER

There is no doubt that the teacher is one of the most important forces in the
progress of the world and the successful teacher deserves the respect and honor
of all friends of humanity. Noah D. Showalter, principal of the Normal school at
Cheney, is a conscientious and progressive educator and deserves prominent
mention in a work relating to Spokane county and the men who have contributed
most to its development.

He is a native of Cass county, Nebraska, born February 22, 1869, a son of Noah
and Nancy (Shoopman) Showalter. His ancestors came from Leipsic, Germany, in an
early day and settled in Southwestern Pennsylvania, which is still considered
the old homestead of the family. The grandfather on the paternal side moved
south into old Virginia, where he reared a family of nine children. He became a
pioneer on the frontier in the United States, and moved west into Illinois
during the early settlements in the northwestern territory. The grandfather on
the maternal side also settled in central Illinois soon after the war of 1812,
and the uncles, six in number, in the same line of descent, were all soldiers in
the Civil war. Three of them are now living and are prominent members of the
Grand Army of the Republic.

The father of our subject took no part in the Civil war, as it was necessary for
him to remain at home because of his wife's physical condition, although he was
through life a patriotic and a liberty-loving man. He began his work as a
minister in the Primitive Baptist church at the age of twenty-four and occupied
the pulpit from that time until his death, which took place during his eightieth
year. He lived on a farm with his family and this was their direct means of
support. The mother is still living and has reached the age of sixty-nine. Ten
children were born to this union, of which our subject was the oldest son.

Noah D. Showalter received his common-school education in the country, but came
west in 1891, when he was yet a very young man. He subsequently attended school
at the State Normal school, at Ellensburg, at the University of Moscow, and
graduated from the Lewiston Normal school in 1899. Following this he attended
the State College at Pullman, Washington, where he received his master's degree
in the department of economics, science and history. His first teaching was in
the country schools of Whitman county, from which place he went to serve as
principal of the schools of Farmington, Washington. After being at this place
for four years, he was elected as city superintendent of the Oakesdale schools,
where he remained for two years. He was then elected county superintendent of
the schools of Whitman county, an office which he filled for two terms. In 1909
he came to the Normal school at Cheney as head of the rural school department,
and the year following was elected as principal, a position which he has since
held.

Mr. Showalter has also been successful in business affairs, and believes that
every teacher should be directly interested in the business world, as well as to
keep in touch with the latest and best ideas in education. He owns two wheat
farms, a twenty-acre apple orchard in the Columbia river valley, has
considerable interest in the mining property in the Coeur d'Alenes, and owns
five acres in the Northwood addition to Spokane. He has shown clearness of
judgment and a discrimination as a business man, which gives bright promise of
gratifying financial returns.

On the 12th day of March, 1891, at Kingman, Kansas, Mr. Showalter was married to
Miss Arra Belle Thomas, a daughter of James M. and Nancy Thomas, whose home was
in Green county, Pennsylvania. To this union five children have been born: Royce
L ; Vera Kathleen; Carrol Adel, who is deceased; Virginia Belle; and Noah D.,
Jr.

In politics, Mr. Showalter supports the principles of the republican party. He
was a member of the central republican committee for a number of years, and has
many times acted as a delegate both to county and state conventions. He is an
active worker in all progressive movements which aim to promote the general
welfare, and at the present time is a member of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce
and the Cheney Commercial Club. Fraternally he is identified with the Woodmen of
the World.

Mr. Showalter is especially interested in the rural-school problem, and in all
his work in the Normal school he emphasizes the great need of raising the rural
school to a higher standard of efficiency. He is one of the pioneer workers in
this Une and his plans worked out in many country-school districts have proved
to be most successful in setting higher standards for the community. Earnest,
energetic, and progressive in his profession, he has devoted his best abilities
to the instruction of boys and girls, the preparation of young men and women for
the active duties of life; and he takes a great pride in preparing teachers in
the Normal school who will measure up to the highest requirements and carry
forward the educational work of the state in the most effective manner. He is
president of the Washington Educational Association and justly ranks among the
leaders in educational circles of the northwest. 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in June 2017 by Diane Wright.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.