John A. Dalzell, attorney, Morton, was born in Waddington, New York, October 14, 1861. His father, Andrew Dalzell, a native of Ireland, was a produce dealer and farmer in New York and died in 1896, at the age of seventy-four. His mother, Isabel (Ricalton) Dalzell, is still living in Waddington at the age of eighty-two. John A. Dalzell was graduated from the State Normal Training School, Potsdam, New York, on June 29, 1880. June 16, 1884 he was graduated from Hamilton College at Clinton, New York. He was third man in his class, stood first in mathematics, took first prize in physics, held the scholarship medal in languages, was prize speaker of his class, a leader on the baseball field and the football gridiron, and attained membership in the D. K. E. Another member of his class was George W. Hinman, formerly owner and editor of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, and now president of Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio. Among the distinguished alumni of Hamilton college may be mentioned James Schoolcraft Sherman and Elihu Root. On November 19, 1886, Mr. Dalzell was admitted to the bar at Albany, New York, and practiced for three years at Waddington, New York. He came to Fairfax, Minnesota, in 1890, and remained for about one year, after which he moved to Gibbon where he stayed about five years. He spent eight months at Minneapolis and in March, 1898, located at Morton where he still resides.

Mr. Dalzell was elected to the state legislature in 1907 and has served two terms in that capacity. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., at Morton, belongs to the Episcopal church. June 1, 1893, Mr. Dalzell was married to Frances Marie Phelps, of Fulton, Illinois, who died April 4, 1897, leaving one child, Madge Isabel, who died November 17, 1901, aged six years. April 24, 1901, Mr. Dalzell was married to Evelyn McConnell, daughter of Alexander and Mary (Archer) McConnell. The father was born August 4, 1831 and died February 19, 1903. He was one of the pioneer farmers of Renville county taking up a homestead on section 33, Birch Cooley township, in 1864. The mother, Mary (Archer) McConnell, was born February 18, 1834, and is living in Morton with her daughter Laura.