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John Gleason
John Gleason
6th Administrator of Veterans Affairs
	In office; January 30, 1961 – January 1, 1965
President	John F. Kennedy; Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Sumner G. Whittier
Succeeded by	William J. Driver
National Commander of the American Legion
	In office; 1957–1958
Preceded by	Dan Daniel
Succeeded by	Preston Moore
Personal details
Born	John Simon Gleason Jr.; February 11, 1915; Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	May 2, 1993 (aged 78); Hines, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Jane Harrigan
Education	University of Notre Dame (BA); Harvard University (MBA)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1941–1946 (Active); 1946–1973 (Reserve)
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel (Active); Brigadier General (Reserve)
Battles/wars	World War II; Asiatic-Pacific Theater; • New Guinea campaign; • Luzon Campaign
Awards	Silver Star; Legion of Merit; 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.^[1]^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[3]^[4] 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.^[5]

Career

In 1961, Gleason was appointed to the position of Administrator of Veterans Affairs.^[1]^[6] As such, he gave the national Veterans Day speech in 1964.^[7] 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.^[1]

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.^[8] 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.^[1]

Personal life

Gleason married Mary Jane Harrigan (1917-1998). The couple had six children: John S. "Jack" III, Daniel, Richard, Thomas, David, and Martin.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Kiernan, Louise (April 5, 1993). "Ex-VA Chief, City Banker John S. Gleason Jr., 78". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ "How many American Legion national commanders have also served as head of VA?". The American Legion. A moment in time. Indianapolis, Indiana. 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Past National Commander Gleason Dies". The American Legion. Vol. 134, no. 6. Indianapolis, Indiana. June 1993. p. 45. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ "Past National Commanders". The American Legion. Indianapolis, Indiana. 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ Peacock, Margaret (2014). Innocent Weapons: The Soviet and American Politics of Childhood in the Cold War. University of North Carolina Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-4696-1857-9. OCLC 900662649. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
^ "Veteran's Column: The State Dept. of Veterans Affairs". The Florence Times. Vol. 104, no. 84 (Morning ed.). Florence, Alabama. June 23, 1963. p. 4 (sec. 3). Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ "Veterans Day Speeches". Office of Public Affairs. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. April 21, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ "Legion ex-commander charged with fund use". The Byran Times. Vol. 29, no. 140. Bryan, Ohio. United Press International. June 15, 1977. p. 8. Retrieved August 21, 2016.