John A. Mead

For the set designer, see John Mead (art director).

John Abner Mead (April 20, 1841 – January 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.

John A. Mead
53rd Governor of Vermont
In office October 5, 1910 – October 3, 1912
Lieutenant	Leighton P. Slack
Preceded by	George H. Prouty
Succeeded by	Allen M. Fletcher
47th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office October 8, 1908 – October 5, 1910
Governor	George H. Prouty
Preceded by	George H. Prouty
Succeeded by	Leighton P. Slack
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Rutland City
In office 1906–1908
Preceded by	George A. Smith
Succeeded by	Earle S. Kinsley
Mayor of Rutland City, Vermont
In office 1893–1894
Preceded by	None (position created)
Succeeded by	Levi G. Kingsley
Member of the Vermont Senate from Rutland County
In office 1892–1893 Serving with Arunah W. Hyde John G. Pitkin Fletcher D. Proctor
Preceded by	Levi G. Kingsley Albert J. Dickinson Cyrus Jennings Simon L. Peck
Succeeded by	Frank D. White Ira R. Allen Amos D. Tiffany Noah S. Walker
Personal details
Born	(1841-04-20)April 20, 1841 Fair Haven, Vermont, U.S.
Died	January 12, 1920(1920-01-12) (aged 78) Rutland, Vermont, U.S.
Resting place	Evergreen Cemetery Rutland, Vermont, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	Middlebury College Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Profession	Physician Businessman
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States (Union)
Service	Union Army
Years of service	1862–1863
Rank	Private
Unit	Company K, 12th Vermont Regiment
Wars	American Civil War

Biography

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.^[1] 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.^[2][3]

Career

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.^[4]

After his governorship, Mead resumed his business interests. He was president of Baxter National Bank,^[5] Howe Scale Company,^[6] and John A. Mead Manufacturing Company.^[7] He was also a director of the Rutland Railroad.^[8][9][10]

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.^[11] He made substantial donations to Middlebury, including the financing of its Mead Memorial Chapel which was constructed in 1916.^[12][a] He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1912, and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Death

Mead died of pneumonia at his home in Rutland, Rutland County, Vermont, on January 12, 1920. He is interred in Rutland's Evergreen Cemetery.^[14]

Notes

1. 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.^[13]