John Holmes Jackson
Photograph of John Holmes Jackson published in 1911
24th and 26thMayor of Burlington, Vermont
In office April 1, 1929 – April 3, 1933
Preceded by	Clarence H. Beecher
Succeeded by	James Edmund Burke
In office April 2, 1917 – April 6, 1925
Preceded by	Albert S. Drew
Succeeded by	Clarence H. Beecher
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Burlington
In office January 5, 1921 – January 2, 1923
Preceded by	Theodore E. Hopkins
Succeeded by	Levi P. Smith
Personal details
Born	(1871-03-21)March 21, 1871 Montreal, Canada
Died	December 15, 1944(1944-12-15) (aged 73) Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
Resting place	Lakeview Cemetery, Burlington, Vermont
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Bull Moose
Spouse	Caroline Deming Smalley
Children	1
Relatives	David Allen Smalley (grandfather-in-law) Bradley Smalley (father-in-law) Samuel Hollister Jackson (brother) Horatio Nelson Jackson (brother)
Education	Philadelphia Dental College

John Holmes Jackson (March 21, 1871 – December 15, 1944) was an American dentist and politician who served as the 24th and 26thMayor ofBurlington, Vermont. He represented Burlington in theVermont House of Representatives from 1921 to 1923.

Jackson was born inMontreal, Canada, and educated inKingston, Ontario, before graduating from thePennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. His family was active in politics with his brotherSamuel Hollister Jackson being elected lieutenant governor and his father-in-law beingBradley Smalley. He moved to Burlington in 1896, and became active in politics in the 1910s with an unsuccessful campaign for school commissioner as aProgressive.

TheDemocratic Party gave its mayoral nomination to Jackson in 1917, and he defeated incumbentAlbert S. Drew. Jackson never lost a mayoral election and sometimes received both theRepublican and Democratic nominations. He oversaw Burlington's response to theSpanish flu andGreat Depression while also reforming its garbage collection system, motorizing the fire department, hiring its first female police officer, and replacing its trolley system with busses. Jackson andJames Edmund Burke opposed each other in the 1929 and 1931 elections, but Jackson endorsed Burke to be his successor.

Jackson was a delegate to multiple state and national conventions, serving as the chair of the Democratic delegation to the1920 national convention and receiving a vote during the presidential balloting of the1924 convention. He unsuccessfully ran for governor in1922, and lieutenant governor in 1930.

John Holmes Jackson was born inMontreal, Canada, on March 21, 1871, to Samuel Nelson Jackson (1838–1913) and Mary Ann Parkyn (1843–1916).^[1][2][3] His father, a Canadian born to American parents, was aCongregationalist pastor who attended theInternational Congregational Council in 1891.^[4] Jackson was educated inKingston, Ontario, and graduated from the Collegiate Institute in Kingston.^[1] In 1890, Jackson graduated with adental degree from thePhiladelphia Dental College in the United States, and performed dentistry inBarre, Vermont, before moving toBurlington, Vermont, in 1896.^[1] He was appointed to the Vermont State Dental Society's executive committee in 1899,^[5] became president in 1903, and was appointed to Vermont's board of dental examiners by GovernorCharles J. Bell in 1904.^[6][1]

Jackson ran for a seat on the Burlington school commission from the 6th ward with theBull Moose nomination in 1913,^[7] but placed third behind Republican nominee Roy L. Patrick and Democratic nominee John W. Coffey.^[8] In 1914, he was selected as a committee-member for the Burlington Bull Moose Party from the 6th ward and was a delegate to the party's state convention.^[9]

The Burlington Democrats gave their mayoral nomination to Jackson on February 16, 1917, by a unanimous vote.^[10] He defeated incumbent RepublicanAlbert S. Drew by ten votes.^[11] He defeated Republican nominees Harris R. Watkins in 1919,^[12] and William B. McKillip in 1921.^[13]

Roy L. Patrick, the president of the board of aldermen, declined to seek the Republican mayoral nomination in 1923, State SenatorMartin S. Vilas put forward Jackson for the nomination, and the Republican caucus accepted it. It was the first time in Burlington's history that the Republicans endorsed the Democratic mayoral candidate,^[14][15] and Jackson won without opposition.^[16] The Democratic caucus gave its nomination to Jackson on February 4, 1925,^[17] but he declined to run,^[18] and RepublicanClarence H. Beecher was elected to succeed him.^[19] Jackson, after leaving office, was appointed to a five-year term as a Burlington park commissioner.^[20]

In 1929, Jackson defeatedJames Edmund Burke for the Democratic nomination^[21] and also received the Republican nomination.^[22] Burke claimed that Jackson won the Democratic nomination due to it being packed with Republicans.^[23] He defeated Burke, running as an independent,^[24] in the general election^[25] after the two participated in a debate hosted by theLeague of Women Voters.^[26] Burke backed a group of successful anti-Jackson candidates in the 1930 elections, including one elected to the board of aldermen.^[27] In 1931, Jackson lost the Democratic nomination to Burke,^[28] but won the election as the nominee of the People and Republican parties.^[29][30] Jackson declined to run for reelection in 1933 and endorsed Burke, who won.^[31][32] The Republicans wanted Jackson to run for mayor in 1935,^[33] but he declined to do so and supported Burke again.^[34]

During theSpanish flu outbreak Jackson opened a dispensary in city hall to sellwhisky for medical use.^[35] The city started distributing 1,200 loaves of bread per week in 1932 in response to theGreat Depression.^[36] A report on November 1, 1932, showed that 563 families, including 1,421 children, were reliant on the city's charity department.^[37] The charity department's expenses rose from $20,982.51 in 1923, to $34,151.06 in 1928, and $101,460.83 in 1932.^[38]

Jackson created the position of police matron within the police department with the purpose of providing assistance to women and investigating housing conditions, but this not have the power to arrest anybody. He appointed Edith McCully, but she resigned on October 22, 1917, and the position was vacant until N.E.L. Austin was appointed on June 1, 1918. She held the position for 21 years and became the city's first female police officer in 1920.^[39] Patrick J. Russell, the chief of police since 1903, died on July 29, 1931, and Patrick J. Cosgrove was appointed to replace him^[40] on September 12.^[41]

Prior to 1922, garbage in the city was collected by seven men with teams on eight routes. The system was reformed and expanded so that four men, with a wagon of their own that contained a zinc-lined box, collected garbage in the city that was now divided into four sections. The garbage was dumped at theUniversity of Vermont's farm.^[42][43][44] The mayoral salary was raised from $500 per year to $1,500 per year in 1918.^[45] The fire department was motorized during Jackson's tenure.^[46] The city's trolley system, which was formed in 1885, was transformed into a bus system in 1929, and a trolley car was ceremonially burned on August 4.^[47][48]

Jackson defeated Republican nomineeLevi P. Smith for a seat in theVermont House of Representatives representing Burlington in 1920, and served one term.^[49][1] He was chair of the suffrage and elections committee.^[50] He received the Democraticgubernatorial nomination in 1922, with Harry C. Shurtleff as lieutenant governor,^[51] but he was defeated by Republican nomineeRedfield Proctor Jr..^[52] The Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial nomination was given to Jackson in 1930,^[53] but he lost to Republican nomineeBenjamin Williams in the general election.^[54]

The 1920 Vermont Democratic Convention, which Jackson was a delegate to,^[55] selected him as one of the delegates to thenational convention.^[56] Jackson was the chair of the Democratic delegation while his brotherHoratio Nelson Jackson was chair of the delegation to theRepublican National Convention.^[57][1] Charles L. Woodbury, president of the board of aldermen, served as acting mayor while Jackson was at the convention.^[58]

Seven of Vermont's eight delegates to the1924 Democratic National Convention were selected without opposition.^[59] Jackson was a delegate to the 1924 state convention^[60] and defeated J.P. Kelly to become a delegate.^[59] Jackson returned to Burlington during the convention to resume his duties as mayor and was replaced by alternate delegate George R. Stackpole.^[61] Arthur H. Gleason, another member of Vermont's delegation, voted for Jackson on the 39th presidential nomination ballot.^[62][63][64]

During the1928 presidential election Jackson was a delegate to the state convention,^[65] vice-chair of Al Smith for President Club in Chittenden county,^[66] and chair of Smith for President club in Burlington.^[67] Jackson and his wife were delegates to the 1932 state convention,^[68] and his wife attended thenational convention as a delegate with 1/2 a vote.^[69] The 1936 state convention, which Jackson was a delegate to,^[70] elected him as a delegate to thenational convention,^[71] but he was replaced by alternate delegate Fred C. Martin due to Jackson being sick.^[72]

Jackson was appointed director of theFederal Housing Administration in Vermont in 1934, and held that position until his death,^[1] after which Frederick C. Hinchey was appointed.^[73] DuringWorld War II, Jackson, James J. Carney, and Phillips M. Bell were appointed byGovernor William Wills to serve as Burlington'srationing board.^[74][75] Jackson died on December 15, 1944, at the Bishop DeGoesbriand Hospital and was buried at theLakeview Cemetery.^[1]

Samuel Nelson Jackson, the father of John Holmes Jackson

John Holmes Jackson and his four brothers

Caroline Deming Smalley

Samuel Hollister Jackson, Jackson's brother, became thelieutenant governor of Vermont and died during theGreat Vermont Flood of 1927^[1] while his other brotherHoratio Nelson Jackson was the first person to cross the United States in a car.^[76]

Jackson married Caroline Deming Smalley, with whom he had one child, on June 4, 1901.^[77][1] Caroline was the daughter ofBradley Smalley, a member of theDemocratic National Committee, and granddaughter ofDavid Allen Smalley.^[78] After his death, the couple donated land that formerly belonged to Caroline's father to become a park in Burlington.^[79] During Jackson's career as mayor he appointed Caroline to the library board of commissioners.^[80]

Jackson was put on trial in 1894 for interfering with an officer while he was beating a criminal and was found not guilty.^[81] He was one of 373 people in Vermont and one of 43 in Burlington to own a registered car in 1905.^[82]

• 1917 Oath of Office speech
• 1919 Oath of Office speech
• 1929 Oath of Office speech
• 1923 Annual Message
• 1924 Annual Message
• 1932 Annual Message

• 1871 births
• 1944 deaths
• 20th-century mayors of places in Vermont
• Canadian emigrants to the United States
• American dentists
• Mayors of Burlington, Vermont
• Democratic Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives
• Politicians from Montreal
• 20th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly
• Burials at Lakeview Cemetery (Burlington, Vermont)

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images