John Abner Mead (April 20, 1841January 12, 1920) was an American physician, businessman and politician who served as 47th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1908 to 1910, and the 53rd governor of Vermont, from 1910 to 1912.

Biography

Mead was born in

Fair Haven, Vermont Fair Haven is a New England town, town in Rutland County, Vermont, Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,736 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Within the town is located the census-designated place of Fair Ha ...

, 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 Malone is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 12,433 at the 2020 census. The town contains a village also named Malone. The town is an interior town located in the north-central part of the county. History ...

. He began attendance at

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...

but interrupted his studies to enlist in the Union Army for the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Mead joined Company K, 12th Vermont Infantry Regiment, serving from 1862 to 1863. After mustering out of the military, he graduated from

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 Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in New York City. He married Mary Madelia Sherman in 1872 and they had one daughter, Mary Sherman Mead. 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.

Career

Mead practiced medicine in New York City for two years, and in

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

from 1870 to 1888, when he was appointed chair of the medical department at the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

. A Republican, Mead served in the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator repre ...

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 Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

Commissioner for the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...

in Chicago. Mead served in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives a ...

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. After his governorship, Mead resumed his business interests. He was president of Baxter National Bank, Howe Scale Company, and John A. Mead Manufacturing Company. He was also a director of the

Rutland Railroad The Rutland Railroad was a railroad in the northeastern United States, located primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New York at both its northernmost and southernmost ends. After its closure in 1961, parts of the ...

. Mead was a Trustee of

, the

and

Norwich University Norwich University is a private university in Northfield, Vermont, United States. The university was founded in 1819 as the "American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy". It is the oldest of six senior military college, senior militar ...

; all three conferred the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

upon him in 1911. He made substantial donations to Middlebury, including the financing of its Mead Memorial Chapel which was constructed in 1916. He was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

in 1912, and a member of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

Death

Mead died of pneumonia at his home in Rutland,

Rutland County, Vermont Rutland County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and mos ...

, on January 12, 1920. He is interred in Rutland's Evergreen Cemetery.

Notes

References

External links

Political GraveyardEncyclopedia, Vermont Biography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mead, John A. 1841 births 1920 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Vermont People from Fair Haven, Vermont Middlebury College alumni Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni People of Vermont in the American Civil War Republican Party governors of Vermont Lieutenant governors of Vermont Republican Party Vermont state senators Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Norwich University alumni Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Rutland, Vermont) 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly