John Dill Robertson

John Dill Robertson
Robertson in 1915
President of the Chicago West Parks Board
In office
1924–1930
Preceded byJohn C. Kruse
Succeeded byW. R. James[1]
President of the Chicago Board of Education
In office
1922–1923
Preceded byEdwin S. Davis[2]
Succeeded byCharles Moderwell[3]
Chicago City Health Commissioner
In office
1915 – February 1, 1922
MayorWilliam Hale Thompson
William Emmett Dever
Preceded byGeorge B. Young
Succeeded byHerman Bundesen
Personal details
Born(1871-03-08)March 8, 1871
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
DiedAugust 20, 1931(1931-08-20) (aged 60)
Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
Residence(s)Chicago, Illinois
Signature

John Dill Robertson (March 8, 1871 – August 20, 1931) was an American medical professional and politician. He served as Chicago's city health commissioner, president of the Chicago Board of Education, and president of the Chicago West Parks Board. In 1927, Robertson ran a third-party campaign for Chicago mayor. As a politician, Thompson was affiliated with the Republican Party. He was an ally of Republican boss Frederick Lundin, and prior to his 1927 mayoral campaign against him, had also long been an ally of William Hale Thompson.

During Robertson's tenure as health commissioner, the city was impacted by the pandemic of the 1918 Spanish flu. After the pandemic receded in the city, Robertson successfully worked to promote legislation to make it easier to become a registered nurse in Illinois, after noticing the necessity of more registered nurses during the outbreak. Also during his tenure as health commissioner, a 1921 decision by the Supreme Court of Illinois greatly weakened the authority of the office.

  1. ^ "Thousands Turn Out as Chicago Skating Season is Opened". Chicago Tribune. November 28, 1930. p. 4. Retrieved April 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Slated for State Job". Chicago Tribune. August 4, 1922. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Evans, Arthur (November 3, 1930). "G.O.P. Tradition is Moderwell Family Heritage". Chicago Tribune. p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.