William Russell Grace
William Russell Grace | |
|---|---|
 William R. Grace, as Mayor of New York City | |
| Born | May 10, 1832 |
| Died | March 21, 1904 (aged 71) |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, politician, philanthropist |
| Known for | Mayor of New York City Founding co-benefactor of the Grace Institute |
| Board member of | W. R. Grace and Company, Grace Brothers & Co. |
| Spouse | Lillius Gilchrist |
| Children | Joseph Peter, William Russell Jr., Alice, Lily, Louise |
| Parent | James Grace & Ellen Russell |
| Relatives | Siblings: Michael Paul, John William, Morgan Stanislaus, Alice |
William Russell Grace (May 10, 1832 – March 21, 1904) was an Irish-American politician and was the first Roman Catholic mayor of New York City and the founder of W. R. Grace and Company.
Biography
Grace was born in Ireland in Riverstown near the Cove of Cork to James Grace and Eleanor May Russell (Ellen) while the family was away from home, and raised on Grace property at Ballylinan in Queens (now Laois) County near the town of Athy, He was a member of the prominent and well-to-do family. In 1846, Grace sailed for New York against the wishes of his father, and worked as a printer's devil and a shoemaker's helper before returning to Ireland in 1848.[1]
William married Lillius Gilchrist Sept. 11, 1859. She was the daughter of George W. Gilchrist, a prominent ship builder of Thomaston, Me. They had eleven children.[2]
- Alice Gertrude Grace, born in South America, June 11, 1860.
- Florence F. Grace, born in South America, Sept. 20, 1861; died Sept. 27, 1861.
- Lilius Clemintina Grace, born in South America, Oct. 24, 1864; died in Ireland, June 26, 1866.
- Agnes Isadora Grace, born in Brooklyn, N.Y., April 4, 1867; died in New York City, March 8, 1884.
- Mary Augusta Grace, born in Brooklyn, Sept. 2, 1868; died there Feb. 16, 1870.
- Lilius Annie Grace, born in Brooklyn, Sept. 1, 1870; died there Aug. 30, 1871.
- Joseph P. Grace, born at Great Neck, N.Y., June 29, 1872; died there July 15, 1950.
- Lilias Juanita Grace, born in New York City, March 30, 1874; married July 12, 1898, to George Edward Kent.
- Louisa Nathalie Grace, born in New York City, Dec. 23, 1875.
- William Russell Grace, Jr., born April 11, 1878; died in Aiken, South Carolina, March 31, 1943.
- Caroline S. Grace, born April 22, 1879; died April 21, 1882.
Business
William and his father, James Grace, traveled to Callao, Peru, in 1851, seeking to establish an Irish agricultural community. James returned home but William remained, where he began work with the firm of John Bryce and Co., as a ship chandler. In 1854, the company was renamed Bryce, Grace & Company, in 1865, to Grace Brothers & Co., and then W. R. Grace and Company.[3]
Reform politics
Opposing the famous Tammany Hall, Grace was elected as the first Irish American Catholic mayor of New York City in 1880.[4] He conducted a reform administration attacking police scandals, patronage and organized vice; reduced the tax rate, and broke up the Louisiana Lottery. Defeated in the following election, he was re-elected in 1884 on an Independent ticket but lost again the following time.[5] During his second term, Grace received the Statue of Liberty as a gift from France.
Philanthropy
William Russell Grace was a renowned philanthropist and humanitarian, at one point contributing a quarter of the aid delivered to Ireland aboard the steamship Constellation during the Irish Famine of 1879.[6] In 1897, he and his brother, Michael, founded the Grace Institute for the education of women, especially immigrants.
Nephew
His nephew Cecil Grace attempted a crossing of the English Channel in December 1910 in an aeroplane. He flew from Dover to Calais. However, in coming back he became disoriented and over Dover flew northeast over the Goodwin Sands toward the North Sea and was lost.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Lawrence A. Clayton, "Grace: W.R. Grace and Co., The Formative Years" (1985), 1–9.
- ^ Children- Retrieved 2012-04-26,
- ^ Williams Great Great Grandson now works at Nasdaq Grace: W.R. Grace & Co., the Formative Years, 1850–1930- Retrieved 2012-04-30
- ^ "Irish Identity, Influence and Opportunity", Library of Congress
- ^ Irish Midlands Ancestry,; from Laois Association Yearbook (1981)
- ^ Hery A. Brann, Catholic Encyclopedia v. VI (1909)
- ^ New York Tribune December 24, 1910
Biography
- Marquis James, Merchant Adventurer: The Story of W. R. Grace, Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources (1993) ISBN 0-8420-2444-1
External links
- March 26, 1904 New York Times article on the estate of William Russell Grace
- Catholic Encyclopedia
- Clayton, Lawrence A. [1] "Grace, William Russell (1832–1904), merchant" in Irish Migration Studies in Latin America 4:4 October 2006 (www.irlandeses.org).
- Biography from www.irishmidlandsancestry.com
- March 22, 1904 New York Times article titled "William R. Grace's career"
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