James Roosevelt, Sr.
| James Roosevelt I | |
|---|---|
Painting of James Roosevelt at Springwood Estate in Hyde Park, New York
|
|
| Born |
July 16, 1828 Hyde Park, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 1900 (aged 72) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Union College |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) | Rebecca Brien Howland (m. 1853–1876; her death) Sara Ann Delano (m. 1880–1900; his death) |
| Children |
James Roosevelt Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| Parent(s) |
Isaac Daniel Roosevelt Mary Rebecca Aspinwall |
| Relatives |
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James Roosevelt I (July 16, 1828 – December 8, 1900), known as "Squire James", was an American businessman and horse breeder, and the father of American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Roosevelt was born on July 16, 1828 in Hyde Park, New York. He was the son of businessman Isaac Daniel Roosevelt (1790–1863) and Mary Rebecca Aspinwall (1809–1886). Isaac's parents were businessman and politician Jacobus Roosevelt III and Catherine Welles. His maternal grandparents were John Aspinwall and Susan Howland.
In 1847, James Roosevelt graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York.
After obtaining a law degree from Harvard University, Roosevelt joined the law firm of Benjamin D. Silliman, the latter arranging Roosevelt serve on the founding board of directors to the company's client, the Consolidated Coal Company of Maryland. Doug Wead wrote that Roosevelt applied the skills he learned from watching the growth of this company to his own enterprise.
Roosevelt's business interests were primarily in coal and transportation. He was vice president of the Delaware and Hudson Railway and president of the Southern Railway Security Company.
During an 1853 trip to London shortly after his marriage, Roosevelt called upon United States Minister to the United Kingdom James Buchanan and accepted an invitation by Buchanan to serve as the minister's secretary at the embassy. Conrad Black wrote that this began the tradition of members of the Hyde Park Roosevelt family being affiliated with Democratic presidents.
Following the 1863 death of his father, Roosevelt inherited both his wealth and status as patriarch of the family. Roosevelt purchased an estate that he bestowed the name "Springwood". In 1871, Roosevelt was elected town supervisor of Hyde Park and was pursued as a potential candidate for the New York state assembly or senate or Congress, requests that he turned down despite having an interest in politics.
In the 1880s, Roosevelt donated to the New York gubernatorial campaign of Grover Cleveland and Cleveland's presidential campaign two years later. After the 1884 United States presidential election, in which Cleveland was elected president, the Roosevelt family regularly met with the Clevelands in visits to the White House. Roosevelt was seen by the press as a possible appointee for a diplomatic appointee within the Cleveland administration, though he turned down these rumors. Roosevelt did contribute to his eldest son James being appointed to the post of First Secretary of the United States Legation in Vienna.
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