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- Native of Lewisboro, NY where the Mead family had its' home since revolutionary days. Graduated from Princeton University in 1928, with a major in Political Science at the age of 20. After he graduated, he went to Manhattan as an Account Executive with the William H. Denney Advertising Agency. After 3 yrs in NY, he joined the staff of the old Westchester County Times, a weekly, published in White Plains. In 1931, he returned to school to seek his law degree. When he was married in 1932, he worked in the law office of State Senator Walter W. Westall in White Plains, New York. He received his law degree from New York Law School, in Manhattan in 1934. In 1934, he graduated from the New York City Law School, & admitted to the NY Bar Association & on October 23, 1934 formed a co-partnership with Hugh S. Coyle and Stewart W. Rowe called Coyle, Rowe, & Mead for the general practice of the law. While he was attending New York Law School, in 1931, he was elected as Lewisboro Justice of the Peace. In 1933, he was Supervisor of Lewisboro. Between 1934 & 1942, he served for several years as chairman of the committee on legislation, drafting and filing at Albany all special bills desired by the county. In January 1, 1934, he became Lewisboro's Supervisor until October 1942 when he went into the U.S. Corps. He served as a ground officer in aviation in the Pacific war area & left the service as a major. In November 1942, he accepted commission as 1st Lt. in the Marine Corp & reported for active duty at Quantico, Virginia. During his duty, he saw service in Ulithi (Pacific) just beyond Guam. During which time, he was serving as a member of the Lewisboro Town Board's most powerful committee, the Budgets & Appropriations Committee. He also resumed his law practice in White Plains, NY. In 1955 he was again elected Lewisboro Supervisor. When he returned to civilian life in 1946, he became law secretary to Judge Elbert T. Gallagher & served for 10 yrs, 5 in County Court & 5 in Supreme Court until 1956 when he was again elected to represent Lewisboro in the Board of Supervisors. During both periods of a supervisor, he served as Chairman of the Board's Legislation Committee, & was also Chairman of the committee on Parkways, Highways, & Thruways. In the later capacity, he played a leading role in the creation of the East Hudson Parkway Authority to take over the task of rebuilding the county's parkway system. From 1947 - 1952, he was a member of the town planning board. From 1949 - 1951, he was the town representative, North Westchester Planning Committee. From 1949 to ?, he was a memeber of the Westchester County Planning Commission. He was also commissioner of the South Salem Fire District. On December 31, 1955 the firm of Coyle, Rowe, & Mead was dissolved with the election of Coyle as county judge of Westchester County. As of January 1, 1956, the firm of Mead and Ryan was formed as a partnership by John J. S. Mead and James J. Ryan also for the general practice of law in White Plains, NY. From 1961 - 1965, he served in the State Assembly & was his most enjoyable position. Also served as a member of the Westchester County Planning Commission. In the 1965, he was committee Chairman for the Committe for Responsible Government (county-wide organization). In November 1960, he was elected for the first time as an assemblyman from the 5th assembly district. He had served as supervisor from the town of Lewisboro since 1956. In 1964 he was re-elected Assemblyman from the 5th district. In January 1961, he took up duties as a member of the state legislature. Senior partner of Mead & Ryan, White Plains, law firm. In 1969, he was deputy county attorney & appointed as acting county attorney of Westchester, NY. In 1966, he was appointed as a Deputy County Attorney. In 1970, he was named to head the county attorney's office. In 1973, he retired from the Lewisboro Republican Committee. He & Barbara Whitehill sold their Waccabuc, NY home and moved to Chatham, Mass.
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1908 - 1984 (76 years)
