John S. Gleason Jr.

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = John Gleason

|office = 6th Administrator of Veterans Affairs

|president = John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson

|term_start = January 30, 1961

|term_end = January 1, 1965

|predecessor = Sumner G. Whittier

|successor = William J. Driver

|office1 = National Commander of the American Legion

|term_start1= 1957

|term_end1 = 1958

|predecessor1 = Dan Daniel

|successor1 = Preston Moore

|birth_name = John Simon Gleason Jr.

|birth_date = {{birth date|1915|2|11}}

|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1993|5|2|1915|2|11}}

|death_place = Hines, Illinois, U.S.

|party = Democratic

|spouse = Mary Jane Harrigan

|education = {{nowrap|University of Notre Dame {{small|(BA)}}}}
Harvard University {{small|(MBA)}}

|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

|branch = {{army|United States}}

|serviceyears = 1941–1946 {{small|(Active)}}
1946–1973 {{small|(Reserve)}}

|rank = 18px Lieutenant Colonel {{small|(Active)}}
18px Brigadier General {{small|(Reserve)}}

|battles = World War II
Asiatic-Pacific Theater
{{*}}New Guinea campaign
{{*}}Luzon Campaign

|mawards = File:Silver Star BAR.svg Silver Star
File:Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit
File:Bronze Star Medal ribbon.svg Bronze Star (2 OLCs)

}}

John S. Gleason Jr. (February 11, 1915 – May 2, 1993) was an American banker convicted of fraud in 1977. He previously served as the sixth Administrator of Veterans Affairs, from 1961 to 1965, and the National Commander of The American Legion from 1957 to 1958. He was a decorated World War II veteran, having received the Silver Star Medal, the Legion of Merit, and three Bronze Star Medals. After the war, he served as a senior officer in the United States Army Reserve.

Early life and education

John Simon Gleason Jr. was born on February 11, 1915, in Chicago, Illinois. His father was employed at the First National Bank of Chicago where he would work when he grew older. He attended college at Notre Dame, graduating in 1940. Later in life, Gleason attended Harvard Business School, earning a second degree.{{cite news |last=Kiernan |first=Louise |title=Ex-VA Chief, City Banker John S. Gleason Jr., 78 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/04/05/ex-va-chief-city-banker-john-s-gleason-jr-78/ |access-date=August 21, 2016 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=April 5, 1993}}{{cite web |title=How many American Legion national commanders have also served as head of VA? |url=http://www.legion.org/moment-in-time/212904/how-many-american-legion-national-commanders-have-also-served-head-va |series=A moment in time |date=2016 |website=The American Legion |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |access-date=August 21, 2016}}

Military service

Gleason interrupted his business career to enlist in the United States Army. By the end of World War II, he was a lieutenant colonel and had fought in the New Guinea and the Luzon campaigns with the 33d Infantry Division. Remaining active in the reserve during the Cold War, he was promoted to brigadier general.{{cite magazine |author= |title=Past National Commander Gleason Dies |url=http://archive.legion.org/handle/123456789/4360 |magazine=The American Legion |volume=134 |number=6 |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |page=45 |date=June 1993 |access-date=August 21, 2016 |archive-date=September 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909231606/http://archive.legion.org/handle/123456789/4360 |url-status=dead }}

The American Legion

In 1946, Gleason organized the First National Bank of Chicago Post, No. 985, of The American Legion's Department of Illinois and was elected its first commander.{{cite web |title=Past National Commanders |url=http://www.legion.org/commander/pastcommanders |date=2016 |website=The American Legion |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |access-date=August 21, 2016}} His tenure as the National Commander of The American Legion from 1957 to 1958 is noted for its avocation of anti-communist education of young Americans.{{cite book |last=Peacock |first=Margaret |title=Innocent Weapons: The Soviet and American Politics of Childhood in the Cold War |date=2014 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |page=106 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l0hRBAAAQBAJ&q=John+s+Gleason+american+legion |isbn=978-1-4696-1857-9 |oclc=900662649 |access-date=June 16, 2015}}

Career

In 1961, Gleason was appointed to the position of Administrator of Veterans Affairs.{{cite news |author= |title=Veteran's Column: The State Dept. of Veterans Affairs |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19630623&id=jBMsAAAAIBAJ&pg=826,6749867&hl=en |newspaper=The Florence Times |volume=104 |number=84 |location=Florence, Alabama |date=June 23, 1963 |page=4 (sec. 3)|edition=Morning |access-date=August 21, 2016}} As such, he gave the national Veterans Day speech in 1964.{{cite web |title=Veterans Day Speeches |url=http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/speakers.asp |date=April 21, 2015 |website=Office of Public Affairs |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=August 21, 2016}} In 1965, he returned to First National Bank of Chicago as vice president of business development. From 1970 to 1976, Gleason was chief executive officer of Mercantile Bank.

Bank fraud

In 1977, Gleason plead guilty to charges of bank fraud for having used $500,000 of the Mercantile Bank's funds for personal use.{{cite news |author= |title=Legion ex-commander charged with fund use |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=799&dat=19770615&id=opZPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5659,1737455&hl=en |newspaper=The Byran Times |volume=29 |number=140 |location=Bryan, Ohio |agency=United Press International |date=June 15, 1977 |page=8 |access-date=August 21, 2016}} He was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison, serving 18 months.

Later life

Gleason later became a Roman Catholic deacon, serving as the first lay chaplain at Metropolitan Correctional Center. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Francis Hospital in Evanston.