John A. Denison

Mayor John A. Denison presiding on Independence Day celebrations on July 4, 1913 in Springfield, Massachusetts

John Avery Denison (August 17, 1875 – March 7, 1948) was an American politician and judge. He was Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts and was appointed to a judgeship by Calvin Coolidge.

Early Life and Ancestry

John Avery Denison was born on August 17, 1875 in Chicopee, Massachusetts (near Springfield, Massachusetts). He was the son of one of America’s oldest ancestral families with a history of service.

His father Reverend George Denisonwas the direct descendant of Captain George Denison of Mystic, Connecticut who was founder of the Connecticut colony. The family’s home, which was built in 1717, is today one of the oldest homes in the United States continuously held by the same family and includes the Denison Homestead—a regional museum and historical society in Mystic, Connecticut.

His mother, Elizabeth Chapin Denison, was the great-granddaughter of Samuel Chapin--a prominent early settler of Springfield, Massachusetts--whose statue stands in Springfield’s Merrick Park. Through his mother, Denison was a relative of United States Presidents Grover Cleveland and William Howard Taft, abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe, financier J.P. Morgan, and poet and playwright T.S. Eliot.

Education

John A. Denison as a member of the Harvard Football Team c.1897

Denison graduated with honors from Springfield High School and, like his father, attended Harvard University where he received his undergraduate degree in 1898 and his law degree in 1901. He was editor of the Harvard Crimson from 1896-1898.

Mayor and Judge

1912 Campaign flyer of Mayor John A. Denison

Denison was elected Mayor in 1912 after serving as President of the City Council.

As Mayor, Denison oversaw construction and dedication of the Springfield Municipal Group, which includes City Hall, Bell Tower and Symphony Hall and which remain today as the seat of Springfield’s government. On December 8, 1913, at the dedication of the three buildings, President Howard Taft, who was in attendance, referred to the three buildings Denison had spearheaded as "one of the most distinctive civic centers in the United States, and indeed the world." As Mayor, Denison led efforts to develop Springfield’s transportation system, including rebuilding and restoring the city’s train station. In 1920, Calvin Coolidge appointed Denison to a judicial seat, where he served until his retirement. He died at his home in Springfield on March 7, 1948

Record as Mayor and Judge

Denison was a progressive Mayor and Judge during a period of socio-demographic change in Massachusetts and an advocate for environmental conservation. His position set a tone of inclusivity in regional politics at the time.

At a 1912 Campaign Speech, Denison was quoted as saying:

“We have numerous classes of people. Each class has its special viewpoint and special need. All classes should have representation and a part in the city’s government so that the needs of all can be best presented, appreciated, and met. Power should not be concentrated in the hands of a few, least of all if those few are drawn from the same walk of life.”

Denison was also an advocate for public service. Denison’s first acceptance speech as Mayor in 1913 entitled “Endeavors in the Municipality” sought to reach all the City’s residents noting “do your share in this city of ours and if you learn about and understand your government, if you give of yourselves freely to many kinds of public and quasi-public undertakings, you will find your return a hundredfold.”

2013 Centennial and Return of City Key

On October 4, 2013, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announced a Centennial Celebration of Mayor Denison's service and the Springfield Municipal Group. At the ceremony, Denison’s great-grandson, Jonathan Fantini Porter, returned to Springfield the original key to City Hall which was given to Mayor Denison and President Howard Taft at the building’s 1913 dedication.