John W. Harvey was a member of the board during the acquisition of funds for a lot and furniture for the library, as well as contributing $50.00 of his own money.

Harvey was born in Wells County, Indiana, September 16, 1840, and died at Leon, Iowa, February 28, 1913. His father died in 1845 and the next year the mother and family came to Jasper County, Iowa. He took some preparatory school work at Indianola and then attended Iowa Central University at Pella. He enlisted in Company G, Eighteenth Iowa Infantry, as a private and left a captain in 1866. He again entered college at Pella and graduated in 1867. He graduated from the Iowa College of Law at Des Moines in 1868.

He moved to Leon soon thereafter and formed a law partnership with Major J. L. Young. He was elected judge of the district court, serving from 1883 to 1890. He then formed a partnership with R. L. Parrish, which continued eleven years, or until Mr. Parrish was elected to the district bench. He then formed a partnership with his son, James F. Harvey. His practice was extensive and his reputation as a lawyer and a citizen of the best. He was president of the Farmers and Traders State Bank of Leon from 1894 until his death in 1913.

-Mav Kaye