Barbara E. Kuby and John W. Barkley, the youngest and oldest members of the City Club, in 1970. Photo: Cleveland Memory Project
The John W. Barkley Memorial Forum is made possible by a generous gift from his estate.
John W. Barkley (1889-1986) was a member of the City Club for 70 years. He joined in 1916, and remained a member until his death in 1986. He served as the Club’s president in 1935.
Mr. Barkley was a native of Braceville, Ohio. He did his undergraduate work at Allegheny College, attended Harvard Law School for one year, then graduated from what is now Case Western Reserve University Law School in 1914. Mr. Barkley joined the law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in 1927 and continued with the firm for his entire career. He was a councilman in Shaker Heights from 1935 to 1950 and was mayor of Shaker Heights from 1951 to 1955.
In addition to his professional affiliations, Mr. Barkley was a trustee of Allegheny College for 40 years, served as president of Hiram House Social Settlement and, in 1957, was Grand Master of Masons in Ohio. He also served on the board of Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights and was its president in 1932.
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