John Barton Payne, U.S Secretary of the Interior

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barton_Payne

John Barton Payne (January 26, 1855 – January 24, 1935) was United States Secretary of the Interior from 1920 through 1921 under Woodrow Wilson.

Life and career

Payne was born in Pruntytown, in what is now West Virginia, the son of Elizabeth Barton (née Smith) and Amos Payne. Payne was an attorney and longtime Chicago Democratic politician. Admitted to the bar in 1876 in West Virginia, Payne entered politics five years later as the chairman of the Preston County Democratic Party. He moved to Chicago in 1883, and was elected as a local judge in 1893. After resigning from that post in 1898, he was a senior partner in Winston, Payne, Strawn and Shaw. (A successor firm still exists today.) He was president of Chicago's South Park Board from 1911 to 1924, when Edward J. Kelly, later mayor of Chicago, succeeded him. He married Jennie Byrd in 1913. (She died in 1919.) After the outbreak of World War I, Payne went to Washington, D.C., to act as counsel for the Emergency Fleet Corporation and the national railroad administration. From 1919 through his appointment to Wilson's cabinet in February 1920, Payne was chairman of the U.S. Shipping Board. From October 1921 until his death, Payne was chairman of the American Red Cross. In May 1921 he pledged funds for a permanent structure for the [Warrenton Library] in Fauquier County, Virginia. He died of pneumonia, following an operation for an appendicitis at 1:06 a.m. January 24, 1935, two days before his 80th birthday — just early enough for an Associated Press obituary to run in the Chicago Tribune.

Known for his work for the Red Cross, Payne's use of the South Park Board to solidify the position of the Chicago Democratic Party has much less noted. Payne tried to bring volunteers and paid staffers of the American Red Cross, and also sent the organization in a new direction, organizing it to support local welfare efforts during both the deflationary period after World War I and the early years of the Depression.

Payne's donation of 50 paintings in 1919 and $100,000 in 1932 led to the founding of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia. Some of his personal papers were given to the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary.

In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS John Barton Payne was named in his honor.

GEDCOM Note

In the Find-A-Grave memorial for Ruth Gardner Hardesty Brittle (#29258675), it is mentioned she "...began her teaching career at John Barton Payne School in Remington."

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Find-A-Grave:
John Barton Payne BIRTH 26 Jan 1855, Virginia, USA DEATH 24 Jan 1935 (aged 79), Washington, District of Columbia, District Of Columbia, USA Presidential Cabinet Secretary. Born in Pruntytown, West Virginia, he was a lawyer in practice when he entered politics as the chairman of the Preston County Democratic Party in 1881. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1883, was elected a Superior Court Judge serving (1893-98) and was the president of the Chicago's South Park Board, (1911-24). After the outbreak of World War I, he went to Washington D.C. to act as the counsel for the Emergency Fleet Corporation and was on the national railroad administration board. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson appointed him Secretary of the Interior, served until 1921 and was the Chairman of the US Shipping Board. From 1921, until his death he served as the Chairman of the American Red Cross. He died of pneumonia at age 79. Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith Family Members Parents Amos Payne 1808-1887 Elizabeth Barton Payne 1817-1895 Siblings Edward Alexander Payne 1838-1863 Martha Eugenia Payne Fleming 1840-1927 William Undril Payne 1850-1877 Amos Payne 1852-1928 John Barton Payne 1855-1935 Lizzie S. Payne Hansbrough 1857-1889 Ernestine V. Payne 1860-1883 BURIAL Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia, District Of Columbia, USA PLOT Reno Hill, Lot 694 MEMORIAL ID 6869423

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