Patterson S. McGlynn, one of the proprietors of the Daily Dispatch, was born in Connecticut in 1850, of Irish parentage. He was educated by his father to read and write and to be appalled by the multiplication table before being sent to country schools in Iowa, commencing at Washington in the State named, “graduating” to a printing office when he was thirteen years old, and then at the age of sixteen going back to school in the old stone school in Davenport, where his printing-office education raced him through to graduation to the high school. But his education may be said to have been chiefly attained at home and in printing offices.
After, service as a printer on the Davenport Democrat and on the old Davenport Gazette, under the late Ed. Russell, he was promoted to be a reporter on the Gazette, with his field in Rock Island in 1876 and 1877. From 1877 to 1880 his home was in Chicago, where he had more printing office and newspaper experience. In 1881 he came to Moline to work for the Rock Island Union. After having represented the Union in Moline for more than four years, in company with John K. Groom, he took charge of the editorial management of the Dispatch, the firm name having been McGlynn and Groom, Mr. Groom taking the business management. This was in July of 1885. Since that time he has held a half interest in the Dispatch, continuing with W. F. Eastman after Mr. Groom sold his interest to that gentleman in 1891.
Mr. McGlynn was married July 5, 1880, in Davenport, to Annie Rose Pester. They have had four children, all of whom died in infancy. He has the distinction of never having sought or held a public office. He has always been a Republican in politics. He is a member of the First Congregational Church of Moline, and is a Mason and a member of the order of Modern Woodmen and of the Royal Arcanum.