John Hooker Leavitt
John Hooker Leavitt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1831 Heath, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 1906 Waterloo, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, politician, civil engineer |
| Years active | Mid-19th century to early 20th century |
| Known for | Founder and president of Leavitt & Johnson National Bank; Iowa state senator |
John Hooker Leavitt (1831–1906) was a pioneering banker and served as a state senator in Iowa. Originally from Heath, Massachusetts, he relocated to Iowa in pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures.
He was the son of Col. Roger Hooker Leavitt, known for his roles as a businessman, politician, and abolitionist. John began his professional path studying civil engineering and early on collaborated with John Roebling, the engineer behind the Brooklyn Bridge, performing land surveys. In 1854, he ventured westward to Dubuque, Iowa before ultimately establishing himself in Waterloo, Iowa.
During his time in Dubuque, Leavitt married Caroline Clark Ware, who hailed from Granville, Illinois. Shortly after settling in Waterloo, he transitioned from engineering into the banking sector, founding a private banking enterprise within ten years.
The bank experienced multiple rebrandings corresponding to partner changes: initially Leavitt & Lusch, then Leavitt, Johnson & Lusch, and later operating as Leavitt & Johnson Bank from 1876 through 1898. In 1898, it was reorganized as Leavitt & Johnson National Bank with a capital stock of $100,000.
For five decades, Leavitt managed the institution under its various titles, holding the presidency until 1901. The bank’s headquarters were situated at the intersection of Commercial and Fourth Streets in downtown Waterloo.
In 1871, Leavitt secured election to the Iowa Senate as a dedicated member of the Republican Party. He notably opposed the reappointment of James Harlan to the United States Senate after Harlan’s tenure in President Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet. After serving a single term, Leavitt concentrated on his banking endeavors.
Outside of his commercial pursuits, he was actively involved with the Congregational Church in Waterloo and was an early supporter of Talladega College, recognized as Alabama’s oldest historically black college. In 1903, he became affiliated with the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Deerfield, Massachusetts, where his father had previously held the vice presidency.
His brother William resided in Waterloo before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota. John and Caroline had five children: Roger (living in Cedar Falls), Joseph (based in Illinois), Mary Leavitt Davison (married to Robert A. Davison), Lucy O. Leavitt, and Grace Cascaden.
John Hooker Leavitt’s father passed away during a visit to Waterloo in 1885; his remains were transported back to their family residence in Charlemont, Massachusetts. John himself died in Waterloo in 1906.
Further reading
- An Outline of the Life and Character of Rev. Jonathan Leavitt, the inaugural Minister of Charlemont, Massachusetts, authored by William H. Leavitt and John H. Leavitt, Waterloo, Iowa, 1904