James J. Van Alen
| James J. Van Alen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
James John Van Alen March 20, 1848 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 13, 1923 (aged 75) London, England, U.K. |
| Alma mater | Oxford University |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Astor (m. 1876; her death 1881) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) |
James Henry Van Alen Mary Young Steward |
| Relatives | See Astor family |
| Awards | Knight of Grace of St. John of Jerusalem |
James John Van Alen (March 20, 1848 – July 13, 1923) was a sportsman and politician. He was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy on October 20, 1893, but declined the appointment. He was well-known as a New York Society leader and was referred to as the "American Prince of Wales."
He was the son of James Henry Van Alen (1819–1886), who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War, and Mary Young Steward (1818–1852). He attended and graduated from Oxford University.
Van Alen donated $50,000 to Grover Cleveland's successful campaign for President. He was rewarded with an appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy on October 20, 1893, but declined the appointment, owing to public disapproval. He was also rumored to have been appointed the United States Ambassador to Great Britain under President Cleveland.
His father became wealthy from real estate, which he inherited upon his death in 1886.
In 1919, he sold his house at 15 East 65th Street in Manhattan, to Rufus L. Patterson, due to his opposition to Prohibition. He then lived abroad, spending most of his time at a villa in Cannes, France, from February 1920 until his death. In 1919, Van Alen stated:
"I know of lots of people that will leave the United States and make their home in countries where the laws are not so strict."
In 1921, Van Alen sold eight three-story Harlem Houses in the 130th Street block, 28 to 42 West 130th Street, each on a lot 25 by 100 feet, between Fifth and Lenox Avenues to James H. Cruikshank.
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