Colonel John Wesley Yale (1832 – 1900), of Syracuse, New York, was a paper merchant, military officer and manager and trustee of the New York State Asylum by Gov. Theodore Roosevelt. He served the Democrats under various state and national conventions.

Early life John Wesley Yale was born December 17, 1832, in Scipio, New York, to Aaron Yale and Mary Saunders, members of the Yale family.Morris, Peter (2012). Base Ball Pioneers, 1850-1870: The Clubs and Players Who Spread the Sport, Chapter Two: Upstate New York, McFarland & Company Publishers, p. 386Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119 His father was a large carriage manufacturer in Pennsylvania and one of the California pioneers of 1849 during the California gold rush.Genoa-NY-Tribune-July-13-1900 His grandfather and great-grandfather both fought as soldiers during the American War of Independence under Col. Charles Webb's regiment. They were the descendants of Capt. Theophilus Yale of Connecticut.

His nephew was Charles Chapin, the New York editor of The Evening World, the paper of Congressman Joseph Pulitzer, and a distant cousin, James Yale, was a cigar manufacturer in New York. His sister, Cecilia A. Yale, married to Earl Chapin, a nephew of one of the richest man in America, Russell Sage.New-York Tribune New York, New York · Tuesday, April 07, 1903Daily Sentinel, Rome, New York · Monday, April 06, 1903

Career

Yale moved to Perryville, New York during his childhood and attended district schools. Later, he started a book business in New York, and around 1860, started another book and wall-paper business in Syracuse. For over 30 years, he conducted his enterprise, along with an art gallery, and his business grew large throughout central New York.Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119 His son became a partner under J. W. Yale & Son.. From his newly acquired wealth, he invested in real estate and became the owner of a large amount of property.Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119

In 1861, he joined the Citizen Corps, and afterward, joined the National Guard. In July 1866, he was appointed Quartermaster, and on February 8, 1877, was appointed Colonel of the 51st regiment of New York.Bruce, Dwight Hall (1891). Memorial history of Syracuse, N.Y., from its settlement to the present time, Record of the Last Decade, Syracuse, N.Y., H. P. Smith & Co., p. 331-333Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York, Volume 1, p. 127 The 41st Infantry Regiment was nicknamed the "Yale Rifles" in honor of Colonel Yale.Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119 He became also an officer of St James' Church.

In 1880, he was candidate for the office of Mayor of Syracuse, but lost to Francis Hendricks.Bruce, Dwight Hall (1891). Memorial history of Syracuse, N.Y., from its settlement to the present time, Record of the Last Decade, Syracuse, N.Y., H. P. Smith & Co., p. 231 He resigned in 1881 from the 51st regiment and was replaced by Colonel Dwight H. Bruce. Throughout his career, he was prominent in democratic circles, being elected chairman of the Onondaga County committee of New York for the Democrats.Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119 For several terms, he was appointed a member of the board of education, and in 1887, was appointed on the board of police commissioners by Mayor Willis B. Burns.Smith, Edward (1893). A History of the Schools of Syracuse From its Early Settlement to January 1, C. W. Bardeem Publishers, 1893, p. 259 The Village and the City of Syracuse, Onondaga's Centennial, p. 503

Later on, he was made president of the board, and in 1892, was appointed manager of New York State Asylum by N.Y. Gov. Roswell P. Flower. He was re-appointed again in 1896 by Gov. Levi P. Morton, later Vice-President, and in 1900, was re-elected on the board of trustee of New York State Asylum by the Governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt, later U.S. president.In the Senate, Niagara Falls Gazette, 6 February 1900Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119 Other trustees included Senator George B. Sloan, Bishop of New York Frederic Dan Huntington, Chief Judge George F. Comstock, banker Abiah W. Palmer, and others.Bruce, Dwight Hall (1891). Memorial history of Syracuse, N.Y., from its settlement to the present time, Record of the Last Decade, Syracuse, N.Y., H. P. Smith & Co., p. 606 He was also on the Building Committee and Executive Committee of the institution.Thirty-Eight Annual Report of the Trustees, New York State Asylum, Troy Press Company Printers, 1889, p. 3-13-14

He represented the Democrats at various state and national conventions, and became a personal friend of New York governors David B. Hill, U.S. Senator, and Roswell P. Flower, U.S. Congressman.Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119 For 13 years, Yale had the contract to provide meals to the National Guard at the State camp in Peekskill, New York, with Louis Windholz as a partner in the venture.Genoa-NY-Tribune-July-13-1900Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : Pictorial and Biographical, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. New York and Chicago, 1908, p. 117-119 He also became a freemason, member of the Central City Lodge and the Masonic Veterans, reaching the degrees of Knights Templar and 32nd of the Scottish Rite.

Death

Yale died in Syracuse, New York on June 26, 1900.

He was a member of the Citizen's Club, Swan Lake Hunting Club, Beaver River Club in the Adirondacks and St. Paul's Episcopal church.

Colonel Yale married July 22, 1856 to Frances Olive Means of New York, daughter of Colonel John Means, a hotel proprietor and veteran of the War of 1812.

They had one daughter and two sons.

Mary Yale, born April 22, 1861, married to George Frazier, owner and manager of Syracuse's National League Club, the Syracuse Stars, and secondly, to John Henry Walrath, Mayor of Syracuse.Morris, Peter (2012). Base Ball Pioneers, 1850-1870: The Clubs and Players Who Spread the Sport, Chapter Two: Upstate New York, McFarland & Company Publishers, p. 386 Wesley Aaron Yale, born March 20, 1870, was Lieutenant and father of Colonel Wesley Woodworth Yale, who fought under General Patton's Third Army regiment.The Bicycling world & L.A.W. Bulletin, League of American Wheelmen, 1888, p. 52Assembly, Volume 60, Number 4 to 6, United States Military Academy. Association of Graduates, p. 164 who was in turn, the father of Lieutenant Colonel John W. Yale Jr. of the US Air Force.[https://s3.amazonaws.com/pageturnpro2.com/Publications/201701/1744/76800/ George Frederick Yale, March 28, 1872, fPDF/131296600705303654_WPMWI17PageTurnPro.pdf West Point Magazine], Winter 2017, p. 66

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