Lincoln-to-go

John Hay

John Milton Hay (1838 – 1905) was born in Salem, Indiana but did much
of his growing up in Warsaw, Illinois.  He attended schools in Warsaw as
well as in Springfield – even attending college in Springfield before
attending Brown University.  He received his law degree from Brown
University.  Mr. Hay loved poetry and was well known at Brown for his
talent in that area.  But in returning to Springfield, found there was not
much employment for poets.  So, he joined his uncle Milton Hay in a law
office next door to Mr. Lincoln’s law office on the Springfield square.

John M. Hay was a private secretary to President Lincoln while Lincoln
was in the White House 1861 – 1865.  He was one of two personal
secretaries to President Lincoln, with the other being John Nicolay.

Following Lincoln’s assassination, John Hay went on to have an
outstanding career on his own.  He was secretary of legation to Paris
from 1865 to 1870 under President Andrew Johnson. He was the Charge
deAffairs in Vienna following for less than a year in 1871.

Mr. Hay was assistant to secretary of State 1871 to 1881, serving under
Presidents Grant,  Hayes & Garfield. From 1897 to 1898, Mr. Hay was
ambassador to Great Britain. From 1898 to 1905, he served as
Secretary of State under President McKinley.

John Hay and John Nicolay co-authored a book about the life of Abraham
Lincoln following the end of the war and Lincoln’s assassination.