John T. Axton

John T. Axton
Axton in 1921
Born
John Thomas Axton

(1870-07-28)July 28, 1870
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
DiedJuly 20, 1934(1934-07-20) (aged 63)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
Branch
United States Army
Service years
1902–1928
Rank
Colonel
CommandsU.S. Army Chaplain Corps
Conflicts
World War I
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal
Legion of Honour
War Merit Cross
Spouse
Jane Bean
​
(m. 1891)​
Children4

John Thomas Axton (July 28, 1870 – July 20, 1934) was a colonel in the United States Army who served as the first chief of chaplains from 1920 to 1928.[1]

Early life and education

John Thomas Axton was born on July 28, 1870, in Salt Lake City, Utah.[2][3][4] He attended Salt Lake public schools and the Salt Lake Academy.[4][5]

Career

Axton was secretary of the Salt Lake City YMCA. He served as general secretary for the YMCA from 1893 to 1902.[4][5]

In June 1901, Axton entered the Congregational Church ministry. He was appointed as chaplain with the rank of captain with the United States Army on July 25, 1902.[4][5] He served in the Philippines from 1903 to 1904 and from 1907 to 1908. During the winter of 1913, him and his men provided relief to the soldiers of Salvador Mercado. He was stationed at the Mexican border for five years.[4] He was commissioned as a major on March 4, 1917.[4] He was promoted to colonel in 1920.[6]

During World War I, Axton ran philanthropic, social, and religious organization in Hoboken, New Jersey.[6] On July 15, 1920, he became the Army's first chief of chaplains. He held that post until his retirement on April 6, 1928.[4] He then worked as chaplain of Rutgers University.[4]

Personal life

Grave of Axton at Arlington National Cemetery

Axton married Jane Bean on August 28, 1891, in Salt Lake City. They had four children, John T. Jr., Matilda, Lily Jane, and Anna.[4][6] He lived on Porter Avenue in Washington, D.C.[4]

Axton had a stroke on May 18, 1934, and was bedridden following. He died on July 20, 1934, at his home in Washington, D.C.[4] He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[4]

Awards

Axton received the Army Distinguished Service Medal in 1919 for his services during World War I.[4] He was awarded the rank of Knight (Chevalier) of the French Legion of Honor in 1922. He received the Italian War Merit Cross in 1922.[4]

In 1919, Axton received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Middlebury College in Vermont.[7] In 1923, he received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from Ursinus College and Elon College.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Hewes, James E. (1983). PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, 1900-1963. U.S. Government Printing Office. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ TIME (17 October 1927). "National Affairs: Religion's Ranking". TIME. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Col. Axton Dies, 64; Ex-Chief Chaplain". The New York Times. July 22, 1934. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Death Calls Famed Utah Army Cleric". The Salt Lake Tribune. July 22, 1934. p. 20. Retrieved May 11, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  5. 1 2 3 Who Was Who in American History - the Military. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1975. p. 20. ISBN 0837932017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Col. Axton Was Well Known Here". The Morning Union. July 23, 1934. p. 3. Retrieved May 11, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ↑ "Major John T. Axton Greets Many Friends on Visit to Salt Lake". Deseret News. May 28, 1919. p. 9. Retrieved May 11, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to John Thomas Axton at Wikimedia Commons
  • Works by or about John T. Axton at the Internet Archive
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.