Samuel G. Armor was born in Washington County, Penn., January 29, 1819, and was the son of John and Matilda (Glasgow) Armor, both natives of that State, and of Scotch-Irish origin. His parents moved to Holmes County, Ohio, when he was about eleven years of age, and there he passed many years of his life. He was educated at Franklin College, Ohio, and has been regarded as among the most distinguished alumni of that institution. He began the study of medicine under Dr. Irvine, his brother-in-law, at Millersburgh, pursued his full course of instruction in the Missouri Medical College, of St. Louis, and received his degree of Doctor of Medicine from that institution in 1844. Soon afterward he located in Rockford, Ill., where he practiced for a short time. While there he delivered a course of lectures on physiology in Rush Medical College, at Chicago, in the winter of 1847, and was then offered that chair in the college, which he refused. In 1849 he was elected professor of physiology and general pathology in the Iowa University, which he soon after resigned to accept the chair of natural science in the Cleveland University. In 1853 he competed for and won a prize for an essay offered by the State Medical Society of Ohio. In July of the same year he accepted a chair in the Medical College of Ohio, Cincinnati. Here he remained, filling different chairs, until 1856, when he removed to Dayton, Ohio, where he was marrried to Miss Mary M. Holcomb, and resumed the practice. He was invited to a chair in Missouri Medical College, where he had graduated fourteen years before, but refused to accept it. In 1861 he accepted the chair of institutes of medicine and therapeutics in the University of Michigan, transferring his residence to Detroit, where he associated himself in practice with Dr. Gunn, afterward a distinguished surgeon in Rush Medical College. In 1866 he was appointed to a professorship in Long Island College Hospital, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and in 1868, on the resignation of Dr. Austin Flint, Sr., he was given the chair of principles and practice of medicine and clinical medicine, and was elected dean of the faculty, which he continued to fill until his death. He was also engaged in active practice of his profession, winnning a wide reputation as practitioner as well as a most eloquent and popular lecturer. Dr. Armor was also a valuable contributor to the medical literature of the day.
In June, 1872, the degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Franklin College, his alma mater. During his life he visited Europe twice. In July, 1883, he was married (second time) to Mrs. Mary T. York (widow of Gen. York, of the United States Army), his first wife having died in 1879. The Doctor died at Brooklyn, on the 27th day of October, 1885, and was buried at Dayton, Ohio, his wife and one daughter by his first wife surviving him.
Biographical Record of Holmes County, 1889