John MacVicar was born on the 4th of July 1859 in Galt, Ontario. The roots of the surname MacVicar go to Scotland. His parents, John and Mary (McEwan) MacVicar. The family eventually settled in Erie, Pennsylvania, where MacVicar went to school and later worked for a mercantile house.
In 1882 John MacVicar moved to Des Moines, where he became a manager at Redhead, Norton, Lathrop & Co., a large wallpaper company. By 1893 he had opened his own wallpaper business, John MacVicar Co.
John MacVicar soon developed an interest in local politics. He was elected town recorder of North Des Moines in 1888 and a year later became mayor. In the 1890s North Des Moines, like a number of other small towns in Polk County, was annexed to the city of Des Moines. John MacVicar, a Republican, was first elected mayor of Des Moines in 1896. Often touted as the "people’s mayor," he was reelected in 1898, 1900, and 1928. He later served on the city council. John MacVicar was a leader in progressive governmental reform and a strong proponent of the commission form of city government. Due in part to his support of the idea and his popularity, Des Moines became the first city of its size to adopt the idea.
From 1908 to 1912 John MacVicar, as a member of the city council, was also superintendent of the Department of Streets and Public Improvements. It was through his efforts that the municipality bought the waterworks. Reputedly something of an expert on municipal government, John MacVicar wrote extensively on the topic for numerous publications.
John MacVicar was twice elected president of the League of American Municipalities, an influential urban reform organization. In 1916 he was one of the thousands of businessmen and community leaders who volunteered for a six-week civilian-military training program held at the Plattsburg Training Camp in New York. After the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, John MacVicar, at the age of 58, was assigned to active duty as an assistant to the quartermaster at Fort Douglas, Utah. He was honorably discharged in May 1919.
John MacVicar lived and worked in Des Moines until his death on November 15, 1928, while serving his fourth term as mayor. He was buried in Des Moines’ historic Woodland Cemetery.
On June 14, 1884, John MacVicar married, and the couple had four children: 3 daughters and a son.
John Jr. MacVicar (1891-1950), followed his father into municipal politics. He served as mayor from 1942 to 1948 and was a longtime street superintendent. Together, the father and son held municipal offices, at intervals, over a period of more than 50 years.
