George Emlen Roosevelt
George Emlen Roosevelt (October 13, 1887 – September 4, 1963) a banker and philanthropist, was a first cousin once-removed of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and one of the most prominent railroad financiers of his day, involved in no fewer than 14 railroad reorganizations. He also held directorships in several important companies, including the Morgan-controlled Guaranty Trust Company, the Chemical Bank, and the Bank for Savings in New York.[1]
George Emlen Roosevelt | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 13, 1887 |
| Died | July 15, 1963 |
| Education | St. Mark's School (1905) |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (1909) |
| Employer | Roosevelt & Son |
| Spouse(s) | Julia Morris Addison
(m. after 1914, divorced) |
| Children | 4, including Julian |
| Parent(s) | William Emlen Roosevelt Christine Griffin Kean |
| Relatives | See Roosevelt family |
Early life
He was the son of W. Emlen Roosevelt (1857–1930) and Christine Griffin Kean (1858–1936) and a direct descendant of Claes Martenszen Van Rosenvelt, who came from the Province of Zeeland in the Netherlands and emigrated to New Netherland in 1649.[2] His paternal grandfather was James A. Roosevelt and his great-grandfather was Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt.[3]
He was a graduate of St. Mark's School, class of 1905, and Harvard University, class of 1909. Roosevelt was a trustee of New York University for 35 years, the last 12 as chairman.[1][4]
Career
In 1908, George Emlen became a member of the family banking firm Roosevelt & Son. In January 1934, after the passage of FDR's Banking Act of 1933, the firm was split into three individual units: Roosevelt & Son, with which George Roosevelt remained as a senior partner, Dick & Merle-Smith, and Roosevelt & Weingold.[1]
Mr. Roosevelt was a significant New York City philanthropist, serving as President and Director of the Chapin School, Vice-President of the Roosevelt Hospital, the New York Dispensary and New York University. Through the 1929–1935 period, he was President of the Metropolitan Club of New York, of which his father had been a Governor and Charter Member.[5]
Personal life
On October 24, 1914, he married Julia Morris Addison (1888–1937), the daughter of Rev. Charles Morris Addison (1856–1947) and Ada Thayer (1856–1934),[6] and the sister of James Thayer Addison, in Stamford, Connecticut.[1]
- Margaret Christine Roosevelt (b. 1915), who married Alessandro Pallavicini on May 29, 1935. After their divorce, she married George Philip Kent, Jr. on June 1, 1948.
- Medora Thayer Roosevelt (1917–1943), who married Herbert Whiting on December 18, 1936.
- George Emlen Roosevelt, Jr. (1918–1993),[7] who married first, Nadine Ottilie Unger, and second, Marilyn Wood.
- Julian Kean Roosevelt (1924–1986), who married first, Florence Madeleine Graham, and second, Margaret Fay Schantz.
In 1937, after his wife's death, he married for the second time to Mildred Cobb Rich (1895–1979).[1]
His son Julian Roosevelt also headed Roosevelt & Son, and was an olympic yachtsman.[8]
References
- Times, Special To The New York Timesthe New York (4 September 1963). "George Emlen Roosevelt Dies; Leading Banker and Yachtsman; Second Cousin of President Aided Bull Moose Drive-- N.Y.U. Board Chairman Skipper of the Mistress Aided the Long Island". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- Jordan, John W. (2004). Colonial And Revolutionary Families Of Pennsylvania. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 9780806352398. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- "JAMES A. ROOSEVELT DEAD; He Expires Suddenly on a Train of the Long Island Railroad. WAS A VICTIM OF APOPLEXY His Nephew Is Col. Theodore Roosevelt of the Rough Riders -- His Long and Prominent Career in This City". The New York Times. 16 July 1898. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- "GRADUATION AT RECTORY; George Roosevelt Makes the Commencement Address". The New York Times. 5 June 1938. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- "G. E. ROOSEVELT CHOSEN; Banker Is Elected President of the Marshall Chess Club". The New York Times. 8 September 1938. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- The Living Church, Volume 114, January 26, 1947 (Morehouse-Gorham Company, 1947), 20.
- "G.E. ROOSEVELT JR. ARRESTED IN AN ROW; Youth, 18, Accused of Refusing to Pay 50-Cent Taxi Fare for Trip to Night Club. BUT HE SETTLES THE CASE Was Seized Once Before for Failure to Pay Care Bill -- Said He Mopped Floor". The New York Times. 27 October 1936. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- "Julian Roosevelt Olympic medals and stats". Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2008-03-25.