Thomas, James and Hugh Garvin and their families had a significant impact on religion and education in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Nine of them, including four women, held advanced college degrees; the same nine were members of college or university faculties; three were college presidents; two founded a newspaper; three were public school administrators; six published books, and four were preachers and pastors. Their collective labors involved many of the states in the continental US, as well as Canada and Hawaii.