John I. Beggs nasceu o 17 de setembro de 1847 em Filadélfia, Pensilvânia, EUA. Foi casado com Sue Elizabeth Charles. Morreu o 17 de outubro de 1925 em Milwaukee, Wisconsin, EUA.
Keep your brain active if you want to enjoy life at my age. Never have I let myself stand still for a day. Keep going - think, study. Because one has made enough money to sit by and look on if he so wishes is no reason to do so. There is no prescription for a long life that has retirement contained in it. I work 12 hours a day. I couldn't get into a labor union because anyone who works as I do would demoralize it. (to a reporter at age 76)