GEORGE W. ROUTSON, one of Ohio's prominent educators, superintendent of the schools of Staunton and Concord Townships, Miami County, and serving in his third year as a member of the Board of County School Examiners, has been identified with school and educational work ever since completing his own training. He was born December 7, 1861, in Newberry Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Reuben and a grandson of George Routson.

George Routson, the grandfather, came to Ohio from Maryland, settling in Newberry Township, Miami County, in 1832. There his son, Reuben Routson, was born August 5, 1833, and the old homestead subsequently became the birthplace and boyhood home of the present George W. Routson.

George W. Routson attended the best local schools and began to teach at an unusually early age, and in 1886 he became a student at Wittenberg College, where he remained until 1888. He then resumed teaching, for several years being connected with the schools of his native township, and then accepted the position of superintendent of the schools of Casstown. One year later he resigned this position in order to accept that of principal of the Covington schools, where he remained one year, and then spent the same period at North Clayton. About this time he purchased a farm in Staunton Township and resided there while he served for five years as township superintendent of schools and later as a teacher. Mr. Routson is widely known in the educational field, not only as a man of scholarly attainments, but also as one whose heart is in his work and who, in a peculiar degree, is admirably fitted for it. His constant aim appears to be the formulating and trial of new methods to improve the efficiency of the schools and, although often forced to give way in his progressive methods until less intelligent co-workers have caught up with him, the superiority of all the schools with which he has been identified is easily proven.

On July 21, 1892, Mr. Routson was married to Miss Angie Branson, who was born and reared in Newberry Township. She is a daughter of D. C. Branson (dec'd), who was born in Lost Creek Township, Miami County, Ohio, May 1, 1828. The Branson family is a pioneer one in Miami County and was an early one in New Jersey. Two brothers of the name came from England and founded the family, which has now representatives in many States. Mr. and  Mrs. Routson have one son, Luther Branson. They are members of the Lutheran Church, in which Mr. Routson is an official. Although he retains his valuable farm in Staunton Township, Mr. Routson is residing in an attractive residence in the suburbs of Troy, having purchased the property in the fall of 1907.