James Jewett Stillman
| James Stillman | |
|---|---|
 |
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| President of National City Bank | |
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In office 1891–1909 |
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| Preceded by | Percy Rivington Pyne I |
| Succeeded by | Frank Arthur Vanderlip, Sr. |
| Chairman of National City Bank | |
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In office 1909–1918 |
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| Succeeded by | Frank Arthur Vanderlip, Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Jewett Stillman June 9, 1850 Brownsville, Texas |
| Died | March 15, 1918 (aged 67) Manhattan, New York City |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Elizabeth Rumrill |
| Children | James Alexander Stillman |
| Parents |
Charles Stillman Elizabeth Pamela Goodrich |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Net worth | USD $77 million at the time of his death (approximately 1/989th of US GNP) |
James Jewett Stillman (June 9, 1850 – March 15, 1918) was an American businessman who invested in land, banking, and railroads in New York, Texas, and Mexico. He was chairman of the board of directors of the National City Bank. He forged alliances with the Rockefeller family, Standard Oil and Kuhn, Loeb & Co. to lay a foundation that made it, arguably, "the greatest bank in the Western Hemisphere." He engaged in an expansion policy that made National City the largest bank in the United States by 1894, the first to open foreign branches, and a leader in foreign exchange. By 1902, the bank was able to pay any sum of money to any city in the world within 24 hours. He was worth approximately $77 million at the time of his death in 1909, making him one of the wealthiest people in the country at the time.
Stillman was born on June 9, 1850 to Charles Stillman (1810–1875) and Elizabeth Pamela Goodrich in Brownsville, Texas, a town founded by his father. Both of his parents were born in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Charles Stillman had significant business interests which James acquired in 1872. He expanded those to control of sixteen Texas banks and a significant land holdings in the Rio Grande Valley, particularly Corpus Christi and Kerrville, Texas.
Along with W. Averell Harriman, Jacob Henry Schiff and William Rockefeller, he controlled the most important Texas railroads (including the Texas and Pacific Railway, the Southern Pacific Railroad, the International-Great Northern Railroad, the Union Pacific Southern Railway, the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway, and the Mexican National Railroad).
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