John MacVicar was born on July 4, 1859 in Galt, Ontario, Canada. His parents, John and Mary (McEwan) MacVicar had emigrated from Scotland seven years before and eventually settled in Erie, Pennsylvania. MacVicar went to school and soon began working for a mercantile house in Erie. In 1882 MacVicar moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to manage the wallpaper department of Redhead, Norton, Lathrop & Co. On June 14, 1884 MacVicar married Nettie Nash and the couple had four children: Mary, Marjorie, John, and Dorothy. By 1893 he had opened his own wallpaper business, John MacVicar Co. He developed an interest in local politics, serving as town clerk, being elected as mayor in 1896, and later serving on the city council. A proponent of the commission form of city government, while he was mayor Des Moines became the first city of its size to adopt the idea. He served as mayor 1896 -- 1898, 1898 -- 1900, 1916 -- 1918, and again in 1928. Becoming something of an expert on municipal government, MacVicar wrote extensively on the topic for magazines. He lived and worked in Des Moines until his death on November 15, 1928 while serving his fourth term as mayor.

A. Neville, September 2005

Information taken from a letter from Nettie (Nash) MacVicar from James T. White Co. (The National Cyclopedia of American Biography).