Vance C . McCormick Vance Criswell McCormick ( June 19 , 1872 – June 16 , 1946 ) was an American politician and prominent businessman from Harrisburg , Pennsylvania . He served as mayor of Harrisburg from 1902 to 1905 and as United States Democratic National Committee chairman from 1916 to 1919 . He was appointed chair of the American delegation at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 , under President Woodrow Wilson . Biography . McCormick was born in 1872 to Henry McCormick and Annie Criswell . He attended Harrisburg Academy and Phillips Andover before completing a civil engineering course at Yale University . McCormick graduated from Yale ' s Sheffield Scientific School in 1893 , and was given an honorary MA degree by the university in 1907 . While at Yale he was a member of St . Anthony Hall . A born athlete and leader , he became captain of the class football and baseball teams his freshman year and was on the university football team his junior and senior years . Vance was named to Walter Camp ' s All American Team as the first team quarterback . He served as president of Intercollegiate Football Association his senior year and garnered other university honors and awards , as well , including class deacon . Following graduation , he visited the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle , Pennsylvania to help organize their first team . Business and politics . In 1902 , McCormick began his career as journalist and publisher . He was president of The Patriot Company , publishers of several area newspapers including " The Patriot " ( 1902 to 1946 ) , " The Evening News " ( 1917 to 1946 ) , and " Harrisburg Common Council " ( 1900 to 1902 ) . He was also president of the Pinkey Mining Company , located in Harrisburg . In 1902 , McCormick was elected mayor of Harrisburg and as part of the growing City Beautiful movement he immediately set about to improve the city . Today , he is credited with expanding the city park system ( which eventually included 1 , 100 acres ) , built steps along the Susquehanna River ( which still exist today ) , paved seventy miles of roads , and improved the city water system . During this time , the population of Harrisburg increased from 51 , 000 to 73 , 000 . In 1912 , he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania . McCormick was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1914 , finishing second in a seven - candidate field . Republican nominee Martin Brumbaugh , Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia , defeated McCormick on the strength of a strong performance in Philadelphia and Allegheny counties . From 1916 to 1919 , McCormick served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and went on to be appointed chair of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace ( 1919 ) at Versailles , under President Woodrow Wilson , heading up numerous clubs and organizations along the way . He also served as Wilson ' s 1916 campaign manager , as chair of the War Trade Board ( 1916 to 1919 ) and as a member of many local , state , national and international organizations throughout the later years . Later life . McCormick remained a bachelor until the age of 52 , when he married the widow of Martin Olmsted , an eight - term Republican Congressman . They announced their engagement on December 29 , 1924 . Vance died at his country estate ( Cedar Cliff Farms ) , June 16 , 1946 , near Camp Hill , Pennsylvania . He was buried at Harrisburg Cemetery . Mrs . McCormick died in 1953 .