John Cummings (October 19, 1812 – December 21, 1898) served as the president of Shawmut Bank for 30 years, from 1868 until 1898.

By a vote of the Corporation in 1889, when he retired from the office of Treasurer, Mr. Cummings' name was applied to the laboratories of Mining Engineering and Metallurgy in recognition of his services.

It is also said that his great recreation was the study of Natural History and "he became so interested in that, that he was led to join the Boston Natural History Society, where he became much interested in Botany, and was chairman of the Botany section.

"[3] Mr. Cummings took a great interest in his large farm in Woburn which he had bought from the heirs of his grandfather.

Today his farm is kept as a public pleasure ground known as Mary Cummings Park named after his second wife who gave the farm on Babylon Hill to the City of Boston to be kept in trust "forever open as a public pleasure ground".