John Beam Vreeland

John Beam Vreeland (December 30, 1852 – July 1, 1923) was an attorney and Republican Party politician from Morristown, New Jersey. He served in the New Jersey Senate and as the United States Attorney for the district of New Jersey.^[1]

John B. Vreeland
United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
In office 1903–1913
President	Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft
Preceded by	Cortlandt Parker, Jr.
Succeeded by	John Warren Davis
Morris County Judge
In office 1898–1903
Appointed by	Foster McGowan Voorhees
Member of the New Jersey Senate
In office 1895–1898
Personal details
Born	(1852-12-30)December 30, 1852 Newark, New Jersey, U.S
Died	July 1, 1923(1923-07-01) (aged 70)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Ida A. PIOTROWSKI Randolph (married 1876; died 1896) Ida King Smith (married 1897; died ?)
Children	Eda A. and Vera E.
Parents	George Washington Vreeland (father) Sarah M. Smith Vreeland (mother)

Early life

Vreeland was born in Newark, New Jersey on December 30, 1852. His father, George Washington Vreeland, was the owner of a soda-water bottling business. In Newark, Vreeland attended public schools, and graduated from Newark High School (now Barringer High School) at fifteen.^[2]

In 1868, Vreeland and his parents moved to and settled in Morristown.^[3] Over the following four years, he participated in several business ventures under the guidance of his father. He later studied in the law profession, then worked in the office of Frederick G. Burnham and later Colonel Frederick A. DeMott.^[4]

Legal career and politics

In November 1875, Vreeland was admitted as an attorney as well as solicitor in chancery, and he proceeded to pratuce law in Morristown. He partnered with Edward A. Quayle between 1876 and 1879. After becoming a counsellor in June 1879, he began practicing law by himself for nearly a quarter-century.^[4] On April 1, 1903, he became a senior member of the firm Vreeland, King, Wilson & Lindabury. The firm was dissolved on April 7, 1912, which prompted Vreeland to establish a partnership with C. Franklin Wilson. The new firm was operating under the name "Vreeland & Wilson", and was headquartered at No. 21 South Street.^[4]

Vreeland was notable for siding with the interest of his home city, county, and State. In 1892, Chancellor McGill appointed him a special master in chancery. Vreeland's public service roles included deputy county clerk, acting prosecutor of pleas for Morris County, and city counsel of Morristown. In 1895, he was nominated for the office of State senator by Republican party, and won the election with a plurality of more than 1,500.

Throughout his tenure as a State Senator, Vreeland introduced "The School Teachers' Retirement Fund Bill," which was enacted into law in 1896. He was also a member of the committee responsible for the revision of laws, as well as the chairman for the joint committee on state hospitals for the insane.

In 1898, Vreeland received an appointment from the acting governor of New Jersey, Foster M. Voorhees, to the position of judge in the courts of Morris County, for a five-year term starting on April 1 of the same year.^[4] On October 20, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Vreeland as the United States attorney for the district of New Jersey, ad interim. On December 16, 1903, Vreeland secured the same position for a full four-year term. On December 9, 1907, he was reappointed to the same position for another four-year term.^[5]

Miscellaneous

Vreeland was an active member of the South Street Presbyterian Church of Morristown.^[6] Furthermore, he held membership in F. and A. M., Cincinnati Lodge. From May 1, 1912, to May 7, 1913, he also served as president of County Bar Association of Morris county, New Jersey.^[5]

References

1. The New Jersey Law Journal: Volume 26. New Jersey: Honeyman & Rowe. 1903.
2. Nelson, William (1913). Nelson's Biographical Cyclopedia of New Jersey: Volume 2. Eastern historical publishing society.
3. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1912, p. 370. Accessed December 21, 2022. "John Beam Vreeland, Morristown... He was educated in the common schools, and after attending the Newark High School one year his family, in 1868, moved to Morristown, where he has since resided.... Mr. Vreeland has always been a Republican in his politicis and has never failed to take a deep interest in the welfare of his party."
4. Scannell, J. (1918). Scannell's New Jersey's First Citizens: Biographies and Portraits of the Notable Living Men and Women of New Jersey with Informing Glimpses Into the State's History and Affairs. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
5. History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II. Lewis Publishing Co. 1914.
6. Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County, New Jersey, Volume I. New York and Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company. 1899. pp. 201–251.