Scranton was born in Madison, Connecticut. When he was a boy, his family moved to Pennsylvania, settling in the Lackawanna Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania. This area was developed for anthracite coal mining, and as the site of the city of Scranton, which was named after the family. Joseph Scranton attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and Yale University from 1857 to 1861. After completing his studies at Yale, Scranton served as "collector of internal revenue" from 1862 until 1866, a post of political patronage. In 1867 he founded the Scranton Daily Republicannewspaper. He served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1872. He was appointed as Scranton's United Statespostmaster from March 19, 1874 to May 5, 1881. He married Ada Elizabeth Meylert, the daughter of General Amos N. Meylert, one of the most prominent citizens of Northern Pennsylvania of his day. Her grandfather, Secku Meylert, was a native of Cassel, Prussia. He was associated in banking operations with Rothchilds. He could speak half a dozen languages, was educated in Paris, and became acquainted with Napoleon Bonaparte. After Napoleon's defeat he immigrated to the United States and purchased a large tract in Pennsylvania and settled at Montrose. Some years later he married Abigail Nichols of Montrose, daughter of a deacon of the Baptist Church. Their eldest son, Amos N. Meylert, married Anna Dennis. General Meylert and his family moved to Butler, where he became interested in the building of railroads and developing coal, iron and the resources of the country, amassing a considerable fortune. Ada Meylert attended the Greenwood Institute at New Brighton. Later they moved to Scranton, where she met J.A. Scranton, who belonged to the old Scranton family of Connecticut. They had one daughter who married Lieut. D.L. Tate, and one son, Robert Meylert Scranton who married Helen L. Sperry in 1890. In 1880, Scranton was elected to Congress for the first time, serving in the 47th Congress. He was defeated in 1882, but won in 1884. He was defeated again in 1886, but won a third term in 1888. Scranton ran again in 1890 but was defeated, after which he resumed his newspaper career. He was subsequently elected to two consecutive terms in 1892 and 1894. In 1896, he chose not to run and re-entered the newspaper business, joining the Daily Republican as both editor and publisher. Scranton entered political life again, being elected as Treasurer of Lackawanna County from 1901 to 1903. He died in Scranton in 1908. Joseph Scranton was second cousin to industrialist George W. Scranton, founder of Lackawanna Iron & Coal and the city of Scranton. His grandnephew, William Warren Scranton, was elected as Governor of Pennsylvania, serving 1963-1967, and also served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; and his great-grandnephew, William Scranton, III, served as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
