John H. Bartlett
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John Henry Bartlett (March 15, 1869March 19, 1952) was a descendant of Josiah Bartlett, New Hampshire's first governor and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. John H. Bartlett was an American teacher, high school principal, lawyer, author and Republican politician from
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1894 and served as the 57th governor of New Hampshire from 1919–1921. Bartlett later served as president of the United States Civil Service Commission and was appointed as the first United States Assistant Postmaster General. In 1929 he was appointed chairman of the United States section of the International Joint Commission for the United States and Canada, until his retirement in 1939.


Education and personal life

John Henry Bartlett was born on March 15, 1869, in
Sunapee, New Hampshire Sunapee is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,342 at the 2020 census. The town is home to part of Lake Sunapee and includes the village of Georges Mills. History Like many other towns, this one went ...
, as the second son and third child of John Z. and Sophronia (Sargent) Bartlett. Bartlett grew up in Sunapee and attended public school there through high school. Bartlett then attended Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, at the time called Colby Academy.Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire, Vol 1 (pg. 162)
/ref> From 1890 to 1894, Bartlett attended Dartmouth College. After graduation he became a teacher at the high school in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
. Bartlett taught for four years, the last two years also serving as principal to the school. Bartlett married Agnes Page, a daughter of Judge Calvin and Arabella J. (Moran) Page in June 1900. They had one son, Calvin Page Bartlett, born October 8, 1901. They stayed married until her death on April 25, 1944. Later that year, Bartlett remarried to Mildred C. Lawson. Bartlett affiliated with the Unitarian Church and was a Knight Templar Mason of DeWitt Clinton Commandery of
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
, and a Knight of Pythias. Throughout his life, he maintained an interest in education and his birthplace of
Sunapee, New Hampshire Sunapee is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,342 at the 2020 census. The town is home to part of Lake Sunapee and includes the village of Georges Mills. History Like many other towns, this one went ...
. He was elected as a trustee of Colby-Sawyer College. In 1955, three years after his death, a yearly scholarship award was established for students from Sunapee called the Governor John H. Bartlett Fund. Bartlett also published several books on New England and political topics. John Henry Bartlett died at the age of 83 on March 19, 1952, in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
.


Political career

While teaching in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
, Bartlett studied law with Judge Calvin Page. He was admitted to the
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
in 1898, becoming an associate of Judge Page. Bartlett's most successful and important case was ''William Turner vs. Cocheco Manufacturing Company,'' in which a state law was established to furnish adequate fire escapes.The Granite Monthly Vol XLV, No. 5 (pg. 135)
/ref> Bartlett began to take an active part in political movements and allied with the
Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...
. He was elected
postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
of
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
on December 13, 1899, which he served until 1907. Bartlett left the position of postmaster to serve on former Governor
John McLane John McLane (February 27, 1852 – April 13, 1911) was a Scottish-American furniture maker and politician who served as the 50th governor of New Hampshire from 1905 to 1907. Biography McLane was born in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire, in Scotlan ...
's staff. As a member of McLane's staff, he was given the rank of colonel and became responsible for making preparations for the Russo-Japanese War peace conference that led to the signing of the
Treaty of Portsmouth A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...
officially ending that war. Former Governor
Robert P. Bass Robert Perkins Bass (September 1, 1873July 29, 1960) was an American farmer, forestry expert, and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from Peterborough, New Hampshire, Peterborough, New Hampshire. He served in both houses of t ...
appointed Bartlett as the representative of the state of New Hampshire at the sixth annual meeting of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) was founded in 1889 to promote progress in the social sciences. Sparked by Professor Edmund J. James and drawing from members of the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmo ...
, which was held at Philadelphia in March, 1912. In 1916, Bartlett presided over the Republican State Convention.New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources
/ref> He served in the New Hampshire state House of Representatives before being elected governor in 1918. Declining to run for a second term, Bartlett served as president of the United States Civil Service Commission and was then appointed as the first United States Assistant Postmaster General in 1922, sponsoring the first transcontinental air mail service. In 1929, he was appointed chairman of the United States section of the International Joint Commission for the United States and Canada, until his retirement in 1939. Bartlett's
New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
sympathies caused him to switch to the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
, and he ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for the United States Congress. Throughout Bartlett's political career and after retirement, he spoke at events throughout New England and at graduation ceremonies.


Governorship

John Henry Bartlett ran for governor of New Hampshire in 1918 against Nathaniel E. Martin of
Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...
. Bartlett won the election by over 6,000 votes and entered office on January 6, 1919, and served as the 65th Governor of New Hampshire until January 6, 1921. During Bartlett's term, the state adopted an
executive budget The executive budget is the budget for the executive branch of the United States government. It was established as one of the reforms during the Progressive Era and became a federal policy in 1921 under the Woodrow Woodrow Wilson, Wilson Administra ...
system and the state's employee liability law was revised. New Hampshire cities also secured the rights to acquire and operate interurban street railways. Bartlett signed the purple lilac into law as the state flower of New Hampshire on March 28, 1919.History of the Lilac
/ref>


Published works


Books


''Dartmouth Athletics: A Complete History of All Kinds of Sports at the College.''
1893 *''In Memoriam: Warren Gamaliel Harding'' 1923 *''Spice for Speeches'' 1926 *''Folks is Folks'' 1927 *''The Legend of Ann Smith: A New England Story in Verse'' 1931 *''The Bonus March and the New Deal'' 1937 *''A Synoptic History of the Granite State'' 1939 *''In Memoriam: Joseph Delmar Bartlett'' 1940 *''The Story of Sunapee'' 1941 *''Sketches From My Scrap Books and Diaries'' 1948


Addresses

*''Message of His Excellency John H. Bartlett, Governor of New Hampshire, to the Two Branches of the Legislature'' January 2, 1919 *''Address of John H. Bartlett: Before a Mass Meeting of the National Civil Service Reform League at Washington, D.C.'' April 27, 1922 *''Each Political Party Will Be Judged by its Presidential Candidate'' April 14, 1928


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartlett, John H. Governors of New Hampshire New Hampshire lawyers Schoolteachers from New Hampshire Dartmouth College alumni Politicians from Portsmouth, New Hampshire Methodists from New Hampshire 1869 births 1952 deaths New Hampshire Republicans New Hampshire Democrats Republican Party governors of New Hampshire Colby–Sawyer College alumni Writers from Portsmouth, New Hampshire People from Sunapee, New Hampshire