John Milton Hay

John Milton Hay (1838–1905) was an American statesman, diplomat, journalist, and author. Born in Indiana and raised in Illinois, he became a close aide to President Abraham Lincoln, serving as a White House secretary during the Civil War. After Lincoln’s death, Hay pursued journalism and public service, including diplomatic posts in Europe. He later served as U.S. Secretary of State (1898–1905) under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, playing a central role in U.S. foreign policy at the turn of the century. With John G. Nicolay, he coauthored the multivolume biography *Abraham Lincoln*.