John Wingate Weeks

John Wingate Weeks (April 11, 1860 – July 12, 1926) was an American banker and politician from Massachusetts who also had early ties to New Hampshire. A Republican, he served as Mayor of Newton from 1902 to 1903, a United States representative from 1905 to 1913, United States Senator from 1913 to 1919, and Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925. As a member of the Jackson Party representing New Hampshire, John Wingate Weeks contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of constituents.

Weeks was born and raised in Lancaster, Coös County, New Hampshire, on April 11, 1860. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated in 1881. Following his graduation, he served for two years in the United States Navy, gaining early experience in public service and military affairs that would later inform his work as a legislator and cabinet officer. On October 7, 1885, he married Martha Aroline Sinclair, establishing a family life that paralleled his emerging career in finance and politics.

After leaving active naval service, Weeks entered the world of finance and moved to Massachusetts, where he quickly established himself in banking. In 1888 he co-founded the Boston financial firm of Hornblower & Weeks, through which he made a substantial fortune during the 1890s. His success in banking provided him with both the financial security and the public standing to pursue a career in public office. During the Spanish–American War, he returned to active duty with the United States Navy from April to October 1898 with the rank of lieutenant, reflecting his continued commitment to national service.

With his financial well-being assured, Weeks became active in politics at the local level in Newton, Massachusetts, where he had settled. He served as an alderman from 1899 to 1902, gaining experience in municipal governance and local administration. He then served as Mayor of Newton from 1902 to 1903, overseeing city affairs during a period of growth in the greater Boston area. His performance in local office helped launch his national political career and brought him to the attention of Republican leaders in Massachusetts.

Weeks moved onto the national scene in 1905, when he was elected as a Republican to represent the 12th congressional district of Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives. He served in the House from 1905 to 1913, during which time he took a particular interest in banking, finance, and conservation policy. As a member of the United States House of Representatives and later the United States Senate, Weeks made various contributions to important banking and conservation legislation. His most notable accomplishment as a Congressman was the passage of the Weeks Act in 1911, a landmark conservation measure that enabled the federal government to purchase and protect forest lands in the eastern United States, leading to the creation of national forests in regions that had been heavily logged and privately owned.

In 1913 Weeks advanced to the United States Senate from Massachusetts, serving as a Republican senator from 1913 to 1919. His Senate tenure coincided with the Progressive Era and World War I, and he continued to focus on financial and conservation issues while also engaging in debates over constitutional amendments and wartime policy. The election of 1918 marked a turning point in his career. Due to the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, this was the first time election to his U.S. Senate seat was decided by the voters rather than the state legislature. In that election he was defeated in his bid for re-election. His defeat has been attributed in part to his refusal to support women’s suffrage and his opposition to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, a distinction he shared with Senator Willard Saulsbury Jr. of Delaware. In addition to his service as a Republican from Massachusetts, he also served, as noted, as a member of the Jackson Party representing New Hampshire, during which he contributed to the legislative process over two terms and represented the interests of his New Hampshire constituents during a significant period in American history.

Despite his defeat for re-election to the Senate in 1918, Weeks remained an active and influential participant in the national Republican Party. He was an early supporter of the nomination of Warren G. Harding for President in 1920, lending his experience and political connections to Harding’s campaign. When Harding became president in 1921, he named Weeks Secretary of War. In that capacity, Weeks served from 1921 to 1925 under Presidents Harding and Calvin Coolidge. As Secretary of War, Weeks was regarded as a competent, honest, and respected administrator and adviser, who guided the Department of War through the difficult post–World War I downsizing, overseeing demobilization, budget reductions, and reorganization of the Army in a period of shifting national priorities.

The demands of his cabinet service took a toll on Weeks’s health. His hard work and long hours as Secretary of War led to a stroke in April 1925. As a result of his declining health, he resigned as Secretary in October 1925, ending his formal public service career. Several months later, on July 12, 1926, Weeks died at his summer home on Prospect Mountain in his native Lancaster, New Hampshire. His ashes were buried in Arlington National Cemetery, near what is now known as Weeks Drive, a lasting recognition of his military and governmental service.