John A. Mead

Mead was born in Fair Haven, Vermont, to Roswell and Lydia Mead (née Gorham). He was educated at the common school in West Rutland and at Franklin Academy in Malone, New York. He began attendance at Middlebury College but interrupted his studies to enlist in the Union Army for the American Civil War. Mead joined Company K, 12th Vermont Infantry Regiment, serving from 1862 to 1863. After mustering out of the military, he graduated from Middlebury College in 1864. While at Middlebury he joined the Alpha Alpha chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) Fraternity.

In 1868 he received a medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York City.

He married Mary Madelia Sherman in 1872 and they had one daughter, Mary Sherman Mead.{{cite book|title=John A. Mead|year=1912|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC/page/n55 52]|publisher=Encyclopedia, Vermont Biography|access-date=November 14, 2012}} Mary Mead's son and John A. Mead's grandson John A. M. Hinsman served as President of the Vermont Senate from 1945 to 1947.{{cite web |url=http://vermontcivilwar.org/get.php?input=23754 |title=Mead, John Abner |last=French |first=Deanna |year=2018 |website=Vermont in the Civil War |publisher=Tom Ledoux |access-date=August 8, 2018 |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116175756/http://vermontcivilwar.org/get.php?input=23754 |url-status=usurped }}{{cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.vt.us/HouseClerk/History%20of%20Elected%20Officials%20Site/Vermont%20Senate%20Presidents%20Pro%20Tempore.htm |title=Vermont Senate Presidents Pro Tempore, 1841–2011 |last=Clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives |year=2011 |website=leg.state.vt.us |publisher=Vermont House of Representatives |location=Montpelier, VT |access-date=August 8, 2018}}

Mead practiced medicine in New York City for two years, and in Rutland from 1870 to 1888, when he was appointed chair of the medical department at the University of Vermont. A Republican, Mead served in the Vermont Senate from 1892 to 1893. When Rutland City became a separate municipality from Rutland Town, Mead served as the city's first Mayor, holding office from 1893 to 1894. In 1893 he was a Vermont Commissioner for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Mead served in the Vermont House of Representatives in 1906 and was Lieutenant Governor from 1908 to 1910.

Mead was elected governor in 1910 and served from October 5, 1910 to October 3, 1912. During his tenure, he presided over the state legislature's reapportionment of state senatorial districts and legislation was enacted during his administration establishing a State School of Agriculture, requiring the registration of nurses, and providing for a direct primary.{{cite web|title=John A. Mead|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_vermont/col2-content/main-content-list/title_mead_john.html|publisher=National Governors Association|access-date=November 14, 2012}}

After his governorship, Mead resumed his business interests. He was president of Baxter National Bank,The Bankers Magazine, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8KM0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1061 The New England States], Volume 73, 1906, page 1061 Howe Scale Company,National magazine, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0Y7NAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1039 The Western Slope], Volume 38, 1913, page 1039 and John A. Mead Manufacturing Company.William Arba Ellis, [https://books.google.com/books?id=tllMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA536 Norwich University, 1819–1911], Volume 3, 1911, page 536 He was also a director of the Rutland Railroad.Vermont Secretary of State, [https://books.google.com/books?id=o1hNAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA112 State Officers' Reports], 1886, page 112Rutland Railroad Company, [https://books.google.com/books?id=l5Y4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PP12 Annual Report], 1886, page 10Peter S. Jennison, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ch2v64nWK64C&q=%22john+a+mead%22+%22rutland+railroad%22 Roadside History of Vermont], 1989, page 40

Mead was a Trustee of Middlebury College, the University of Vermont and Norwich University; all three conferred the honorary degree of LL.D. upon him in 1911.{{cite book|title=John A. Mead|year=1912|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC/page/n55 52]|publisher=Encyclopedia, Vermont Biography|access-date=November 14, 2012}} He made substantial donations to Middlebury, including the financing of its Mead Memorial Chapel which was constructed in 1916.{{Cite web |date=2012-05-22 |title=Mead Chapel |url=https://middhistory.middlebury.edu/mead-chapel/ |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=Middlebury History Online |language=en-US}}{{efn|The name "Mead" was removed from the Chapel in 2021 due to Mead's role in advancing the eugenics movement as governor and is now referred to as Middlebury Chapel.{{Cite web |last= Lee, George & Patton, Laurie |title=Mead Memorial Chapel {{!}} Middlebury News and Announcements |url=https://www.middlebury.edu/announcements/news/2021/09/mead-memorial-chapel |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=www.middlebury.edu |date=September 27, 2021 |language=en}}}} He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1912, and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Mead died of pneumonia at his home in Rutland, Rutland County, Vermont, on January 12, 1920. He is interred in Rutland's Evergreen Cemetery.{{cite web|title=John A. Mead|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mead.html#145.97.31|publisher=The Political Graveyard|access-date=November 14, 2012}}

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{{reflist}}

• [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mead.html#RKL091X3I Political Graveyard]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=tt2_3hTQxFMC&dq=John+A.+Mead+university+of+vermont+biography&pg=PA52 Encyclopedia, Vermont Biography]
• [http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_vermont/col2-content/main-content-list/title_mead_john.html National Governors Association]
• {{Find a Grave|13148176}}

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Category:1841 births

Category:1920 deaths

Category:19th-century mayors of places in Vermont

Category:People from Fair Haven, Vermont

Category:Middlebury College alumni

Category:Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni

Category:People of Vermont in the American Civil War

Category:Republican Party governors of Vermont

Category:Lieutenant governors of Vermont

Category:Republican Party Vermont state senators

Category:Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives

Category:Norwich University alumni

Category:Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Rutland, Vermont)

Category:19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly