Born: February 26, 1859, Rockbridge, Monroe County, Kentucky.
Died: January 25, 1933, Owensboro, Kentucky.
Buried: Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery, Owensboro, Kentucky.
James was the son of Fendell Reuben Hagan and Sarah Strode. He married three times, to Lillian Gertrude Jordon, Ella Bedie Evans (1894), and Rubye M. Vance.
Hagan married Ella B. Evans of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, in 1892, and had two children with her. After her death, he married Rubye Vance of Paducah, Kentucky, in 1907, and had three sons with her.
He came to Christ at age fourteen and joined a Baptist church. After holding membership in the Bowling Green and Owensboro First Churches for years, he spent his last days in the Seven Hills Church where he served as deacon, Sunday school teacher, and choir director.
Hagan was known as an outstanding musician, receiving his training in Tompkinsville; Bowling Green Normal; the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois; and the Cincinnati College of Music.
A teacher all his life, his principal work was in high schools in Warren, Monroe, Metcalfe, Hart, and Daviess Counties, Kentucky. He was head or joint head of the Monroe Normal for many years in Flippin, Kentucky, with Professor T. C. Gillianwaters. Altogether he taught for forty years.
Hagan was associated with such authors as Bliss, Stebbins, Rodeheaver, Coleman, Showalter, the Vaughan brothers, and others. For about five years he traveled with a male quartet.
His first musical composition was written at age sixteen, and over 800 of his hymns were published. He also edited two public school song books and was very active in putting music into the public schools.
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