Introduction

Biography

John was the son of Ja­cob Wil­cox, Jr., and Ca­tha­rine Shell­man.

He gra­du­at­ed from Tri­ni­ty Col­lege, Hart­ford, Con­nec­ti­cut, in 1849. In 1864, George­town Col­lege awarded him an hon­or­ary Doc­tor of Mu­sic de­gree.

In 1850, Wil­cox suc­ceed­ed Sam­uel P. Tuck­er­man as or­gan­ist at St. Paul’s Epis­co­pal Church in Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts. He lat­er moved to Church of the Im­ma­cu­late Con­cep­tion, play­ing there un­til Ju­ly 1874.

While in Bos­ton, Wil­cox was a part­ner in the or­gan build­ing firm run by Will­iam Ben­ja­min Dear­born Sim­mons.