Frank Lusk Babbott
Frank Lusk Babbott | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frank Lusk Babbott August 14, 1854 |
| Died | December 7, 1933 (aged 79) New York City, US |
| Occupation(s) | Jute merchant, art collector, patron, and philanthropist |
| Known for | Babbott Field and Babbott Avenue, both in Waterville, New York, named in his honor |
Frank Lusk Babbott (August 14, 1854 – December 7, 1933) was an American jute merchant, art collector, patron, and philanthropist.
Early life[edit]
Babbott was born in Waterville, New York on August 14, 1854, the son of Miller Babbott and Mary Elizabeth Crandall.[1]
He was a childhood friend of George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak.[2]
Education[edit]
He was educated at Amherst College, graduating in the class of 1878.[3] He then studied at Columbia University, graduating with an LLB in 1880.[1]
Career[edit]
Babbott was Director of Chelsea Jute Mills from 1883 to 1901. He was a member of the Brooklyn Board of Education, and president of the Brooklyn Free Kindergarten Society.[1]
He was a trustee of various organisations:
- Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, president Board of Trustees, 1911–1933[4]
- Vassar College (1915–1922)[5]
- YWCA of Brooklyn[1]
- Brooklyn Academy of Music[1]
- Brooklyn Public Library[1]
- Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, now Brooklyn Museum[1]
He was vice-president of the New York Board of Education, 1902–1904.[1]
Babbott died on December 7, 1933, at his home at 149 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn.[6]
Personal life[edit]
Babbott's family home was 153 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, New York. They also owned an estate at Glen Cove, Long Island, advertised for sale in 2008 at $4.2 million.
Babbott married Lydia Richardson Pratt (1857–1904), daughter of Standard Oil magnate Charles Pratt on February 18, 1886.[7]
They had four children:
- Mary Babbott, who married Dr William Sargeant Ladd
- Frank Lusk Babbott Jr (1891–1970) (Amherst 1913)
- Lydia Pratt Babbott, who married a Dr. Emlen Stokes
- Helen L Babbott, who married Mr. Ian McDonald
Honours[edit]
- Chevalier of the Legion of Honour[2]
- Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog[2]
Legacy[edit]
A public park (Babbott Field) and a street (Babbott Avenue), both in Waterville, New York, were named in his honor. The Babbott Room in the Octagon at Amherst College was named in memory of him.
He left a bequest of over $540,000 to Vassar College to establish the Lydia Richardson Babbott Endowment.[5]
The Frank L. Babbott Chair of Literature & The Arts at Packer Collegiate Institute is named in his honour, established by his family in 1977.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Amherst College Class of 1878". Amherst College Biographical Record, Centennial Edition (1821–1921). Amherst College. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ a b c Brayer, E. (2006). George Eastman: A Biography. University of Rochester Press. ISBN 9781580462471. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Babbott, Frank L., Jr. (Frank Lusk), 1891-1970 (AC 1913) | Amherst College - ArchivesSpace". archivesspace.amherst.edu. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ a b "Frank L. Babbott Chair of Literature & the Arts". Packer Collegiate Institute website. Packer Collegiate Institute. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ a b "Vassar Newspaper Archive". Vassar Miscellany News, Volume XIX, Number 4, 13 October 1934. Vassar College. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ "Please wait..." interactive.ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "Babbott, Frank Lusk, 1854-1933". Frick Collection. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
External links[edit]
- Amherst College record Archived April 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1854 births
- 1933 deaths
- American manufacturing businesspeople
- Philanthropists from New York (state)
- Amherst College alumni
- Columbia Law School alumni
- People from Waterville, New York
- Charles Pratt family
- Knights of the Legion of Honour
- Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog
- People from Park Slope
- 19th-century American merchants