Phillips.] '^-•^4 [Jan. 7, 



Students. His predecessors in that honorable position had always been 

 like himself, men of the highest rank, whose names the lawyers of the 

 entire land were accustomed to utter with veneration, respect and esteem ; 

 Rawle, Duponceau, Sergeant, Binney, Ingersoll and Meredith. Names to 

 be handed, with the best traditions of the Bar, down to its latest days. 



In 1846, Mr. McCall married Jane Byrd Mercer, at Cedar Park, West 

 River, Maryland, the residence of her fatlier. Col. John Mercer. Of this 

 marriage were born Catherine, John Mercer, Edith (married to Dr. John 

 M. Keating, of this city), Gertrude, Richard Cadwalader, Robert 

 Kemble, Jane Byrd and Mary. Of these children only the youngest 

 daughters survive, to mourn with their mother their great loss. During 

 tlie years 1837, 1853 and 1870, Mr. McCall traveled in Europe, storing his 

 mind with the rich harvests of Old World knowledge, while enjoying a 

 brief respite from his arduous labors. 



Although no politician, in the now-a-days sadly abused signification of 

 the term, Mr. McCall always felt deep interest in the progress of public 

 affairs, and never shrank from accepting such duties as it pleased his fellow - 

 citizens to call upon him to undertake. He sat in the Councils of the City 

 for several terms, and in 1844 was elected Mayor of the City, as the candi- 

 date of the Whig party, defeating by a large vote Samuel Badger, the 

 Democratic, and E. W. Keyser, the Native American candidate. This 

 "was to Mr. McCall, a great compliment, paid in a time of strong political 

 excitement by the citizens, who understood and appreciated sterling honor 

 and integrity. 



On the 18th day of April, 1851, he was chosen a member of our Society, 

 but owing to the continual pressure of other duties, never took an active 

 part in our labors. 



He was for many years one of the Trustees of the University of Pennsyl- 

 vania, in Avhose law schools, he, until comparatively recently filled the 

 chair of practice, pleading, and evidence. 



Mr. McCall was for a time a member of the Vestry of Christ Church 

 (Protestant Episcopal), and also Warden, but after long and faithful ser- 

 vices rendered by him to the cause of religion and of the Church, in the 

 early days of the war, his connection with it came to an end. 



While the public record of Mr. McCall's life is mainly that of a profes- 

 sional man, yet he was a cultured scholar of refined tastes and great 

 attainments. But he very rarely permitted himself to be seduced by the 

 fascinations of the lighter sciences from the pursuit of the life-long duties to 

 which he had dedicated his career. He knew that the law was a jealous 

 and exacting mistress, in whose service there could be no loitering by the 

 wayside or stepping from the beaten track to cull the flowers of literary 

 success ; that it required the devotion of a lifetime, sharing no divided at- 

 tention, brooking no divided empire. The chief occasions upon whicli 

 Mr. McCall would permit his literary talents to be observed, were in 

 obituary addresses upon deceased members of our Bar, which he delivered 

 by request, from time to time, iu accordance with the kindly usage of the 



