| John McCormick Lea | |
| Office: | 26th Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee |
| Term Start: | 1849 |
| Term End: | 1850 |
| Predecessor: | Alexander Allison |
| Successor: | John Hugh Smith |
| Birth Date: | 25 December 1818 |
| Birth Place: | Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Monteagle, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting Place: | Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Party: | Whig |
| Children: | 3 |
| Parents: | Luke Lea Susan Wells McCormick |
| Alma Mater: | University of Nashville |
John McCormick Lea (December 25, 1818 - September 21, 1903) was an American Whig politician. He served as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1849 to 1850.
Lea was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on December 25, 1818.[1] He graduated from the University of Nashville.[1] His father was Luke Lea (1783–1851), a United States Representative from Tennessee, and his mother, Susan Wells McCormick.[1]
Lea was a lawyer and a circuit judge.[1] He served as vice-president of First American National Bank.[1] He served as President of the Board of Trustees of the University of Nashville.[1] From 1842 to 1845, he served as Assistant U.S. District Attorney.[2] From 1849 to 1850, he served as Mayor of Nashville.[1] [3] He was part of the commission to surrender Nashville to the Union Army in February 1862.[2] From 1888 to 1903, he served as president of the Tennessee Historical Society.[1] [2]
Lea married Elizabeth Overton in 1843.[1] They had three sons, Overton, Robert B. and Luke Lea.[1] He attended the First Presbyterian Church.[1] He died in Monteagle, Tennessee on September 21, 1903, and he is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.[1]