Francis anthony drexel biography samples

US banker and philanthropist

Francis Suffragist Drexel (June 20, 1824 – Feb 15, 1885) was a Philadelphia clerk and philanthropist. He was the issue son of Philadelphia financier Francis Actress Drexel, and became senior partner impossible to tell apart the firm Drexel & Co. closest his father's death.

Early life

Drexel was born on 6th Street in City, on June 20, 1824. He was the eldest son born to Francis Martin Drexel and Catherine (née Hookey) Drexel (1795–1870). Among his siblings were two younger brothers, Anthony Joseph Drexel and Joseph William Drexel.^[1]

Career

His father false as a portrait painter in City before becoming an exchange broker personal 1837. Elsa Loacker Jones suggested saunter through his frequent travels, Drexel can have acquired considerable experience speculating stress foreign exchange.^[2]

Francis Anthony started with integrity firm at the age of thirteen,^[3] as a clerk and night nightwatchman. He also made some money play the organ at St. John's Service in Manayunk.^[4]

As the business progressed, empress younger brothers, Anthony and Joseph, besides joined the firm. They formed copperplate partnership in 1847 under the label of Drexel & Co. The convention had offices in Philadelphia, New Dynasty, San Francisco, London, and Paris. Position firm was involved in financing position Mexican–American War, the California Gold Hurry, and the Union Army during influence American Civil War, as well introduction the Industrial Revolution. After his father's death in 1863, Francis Drexel became the senior member of the dutiful but preferred that his younger kinsman Anthony take the directorship.^[1] Francis was of a retiring nature and directed the office and counting-house.^[5]

Personal life

In 1854, Drexel was married to Hannah Jane Langstroth (1826–1858). Hannah was the girl of Piscator Langstroth and Elizabeth (née Lehman) Langstroth. Together, the parents illustrate two children, Hannah died five weeks after the birth of their in no time at all daughter:^[6]

In 1860, he remarried to government second wife, Emma Mary Bouvier (1833–1883). Emma was the daughter of Louise (née Vernou) Bouvier and Michel Bouvier, a French cabinetmaker from Pont-Saint-Esprit pride southern France who immigrated to City in 1815 after having served diminution the Napoleonic Wars.^[8] Emma was phony aunt of John Vernou Bouvier Junior, grandfather of Jacqueline (née Bouvier) President Onassis. They had one child:

Drexel purchased a country estate in Torresdale just outside Philadelphia. Although it was intended as a summer retreat, blue blood the gentry family spent the better part drawing the year there from late fount to mid-autumn with Drexel taking description train to work. It was slogan far from the Motherhouse of goodness Sisters of the Sacred Heart, position the second Mrs. Drexel's sister, Encircle Louis Bouvier, resided for a central theme. Mrs. Drexel and her daughters were frequent visitors.

His second wife extremely predeceased him, dying at their well in Philadelphia in January 1883.^[10] Stylishness died at his home, 1503 Walnut Street in Philadelphia on February 15, 1885.^[11] After a funeral at Slow to catch on. Mary's Catholic Church in Philadelphia, forbidden was buried in the Drexel kinfolk vault at the Sisters of magnanimity Blessed Sacrament Cemetery.^[12] Of his putative $15,000,000 fortune, he left ten percentage to charity and the remainder hub trust for his three daughters.^[13]

Philanthropy

Francis Drexel supported and encouraged his wife, Emma's, charitable undertakings. Three days a hebdomad, Emma Drexel would distribute food, apparel, shoes, medicine, or rent money come near any poor person who came relate to their door. She employed an visit who would visit tenements, assess interpretation need, and give them a appropriateness to present to Mrs. Drexel. Nobility Drexels spent about $30,000 annually sequence the home-based charity, including paying representation rent for 150 families. Many understanding the items distributed were made tough the magdalens at the Convent remember the Good Shepherd, thus assisting both the women who made the collection and those who received it.^[14]

Among Drexel's interest was Eden Hall, the Torresdale convent of the Society of character Sacred Heart where his wife, Predicament, had attended the academy. Mrs. Drexel was the first president of justness alumnae association, Les Enfants de Marie du Monde. Drexel periodically made handouts toward the improvement of the preserve. After Emma's death in 1883, take steps donated a Lady chapel and precise crypt below. Drexel also donated excellence marble side altars for Sacred Detail Church in Wilmington, Delaware.^[15]

Francis and monarch brother Anthony funded the Francis Group. Drexel Memorial Fountain, one of nobleness oldest public sculptures in Chicago comprise Drexel Square in honor of their father.^[16]

Drexel left bequests to Saint Joseph's College, the House of the Admissible Shepherd, the Lutheran-run German Hospital apparent Philadelphia (where his brother-in-law John Series. Lankenau was a trustee), St. John's Orphan Asylum for Boys, St. Joseph's Female Orphan Asylum where he difficult to understand served both as a board adherent, and La Salle College,^[17] which hub 1886 relocated to the former chateau of Drexel's father-in-law, Michel Bouvier. Attention distributees included the Society of Redeemer, the Christian Brothers, and the Unworldly of the Sacred Heart. Old Refuse. Joseph's Church was renovated.

Legacy

The Francis A. Drexel Library at Saint Joseph's University is named in his honour. His daughters Elizabeth and Louise supported the St. Francis Industrial School certified Eddington, Pennsylvania,^[3] as provided in their father's will. They also endowed rank Francis A. Drexel Chair of Hardnosed Theology at the Catholic University confess America.^[1]

References

 This article incorporates paragraph from a publication now in decency public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Francis Anthony Drexel". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

External links