John Santos
| John Santos | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of New Liverpool | |
| In office 1948–1953 | |
| President | Juan Costa |
| Preceded by | Roberto Salazar-Smith |
| Succeeded by | Hugo Walsh |
| Superintendent of New Liverpool Public Schools | |
| In office 1940–1948 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 20, 1902 Upper Rodero Town, New Liverpool |
| Died | January 18, 1961 Rio Blanco Mountain Prison, Silverado |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
| Resting place | Haven House, Rodero Ward, New Liverpool |
| Citizenship | Slokaisian |
| Political party | Republican Left Alliance |
John Santos was a Slokaisan politician and activist for religious freedom and education reform. His willingness to act in such opposition to Juan Costa has led to him being regarded as a national hero. Initially being a proponent of education reform as Superintendent his reforms led to the foundation of the modern school system for the City of New Liverpool. From this success he was elected Mayor of New Liverpool in 1948. Upon the election of Juan Costa, Santos was a strong critic and thus was a target of political violence by the National Reformist Brigade. Eventually he was arrested in 1953 and sentenced to a labor camp where he would be killed in an escape attempt.
Early Life and Career[edit | edit source]
John Casnila Santos was born in a small homestead in what was just outside the city limits of New Liverpool in Rodero Township. Santos was primarily of Mesitzo background with the family owning the property since at least 1785. The expansion of the capital district in 1905 made the Santos Family residents of the capital. From an early age, the Santos Family took in new residents to a rapidly growing city and provided them with charity and food grown on their homestead, which was rapidly being surrounded by the growing cityscape.
In 1921, John Santos began studying at the City University of New Liverpool (now known as Alexander Lin University) working toward a degree in agricultural studies and seeking to leave the city. However, Santos's observations of the growing urban poor and work in various charity food banks led to him opening the Haven House, a property in the Midtown Ward with food and beds for the city’s homeless and working poor. The rapid industrialization of the 1920s and 30s had led to mass migrations to New Liverpool and other cities seeking better opportunities. Soon, Haven House had several locations across the city, including his family's farm, which became known as the Haven Farm. Haven House was one of the first private organizations providing social services and largely inspired work in other cites. Meanwhile, Santos opened a medical clinic that would provide examinations and initial physical checks free of charge with only additional medical work requiring payment. This largely avoided the overcrowded public hospitals and the expensive and often ethnically segregated private faculties