Mayors of Holland - Biographies

John Bernard De Pree was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1907 and came to Holland where he attended Hope College, played on the basketball team, and graduated in 1929.

After graduation, he was employed by the People's State Bank where he eventually became head of the loan department. He also wrote part time for the Grand Rapids Press. He then worked as an office manager of Holland Aniline Dye Company and was later employed at the Holland Color and Chemical Company where he continued to work while mayor. He also served as Treasurer of Western Theological Seminary.

De Pree married Gladys Huizinga on October 27, 1934. Together they raised three daughters, Judith, Jean, and Joan. As a member of Third Reformed Church he served as a deacon and treasurer.

De Pree began his political career as a city councilman from the 3rd Ward. As Mayor, De Pree was the last to operate under the city's old charter of 1880 in which the city was divided into six wards with two representatives from each ward. No lands south of 32nd Street had yet been annexed by the city. The city manager position had also not yet been formed; those tasks belonged to the mayor. As mayor, De Pree received the meager sum of $100 per year, but put in long hours of work. During his terms as councilman and mayor, the city of Holland went through a production shift to aid the war effort as it struggled to find qualified workers. Mayor De Pree recalled the city's compliant nature as the citizens worked hard and even calmly participated in air raid drills.

After the war the city saw continued growth and prosperity. Steadily, wooden buildings were replaced with brick and efforts were made to control problems of waste and rats in the city dump and alleys. The city, however, didn't have the industrial expansion of today. Bernard used to hunt with his dog in the area of the present-day southside industrial park.

Offered a better paying job out west, and after his only term as mayor, De Pree moved to Seattle, WA. In Seattle, he became secretary-treasurer of the Milwaukee Railroad Hospital Association. He was a member and former elder of the University Presbyterian Church in Seattle. De Pree resided in Seattle until his death at the age of 81 on May 10, 1988.

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