John Fairfield Dryden
| John F. Dryden | |
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United States Senator from New Jersey |
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In office January 29, 1902 – March 4, 1907 |
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| Preceded by | William Joyce Sewell |
| Succeeded by | Frank O. Briggs |
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John Fairfield Dryden August 7, 1839 Temple, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | November 24, 1911 (aged 72) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
John Fairfield Dryden (August 7, 1839 – November 24, 1911) was the founder of the Prudential Insurance Company and a United States Senator from New Jersey. He was known as the "father of industrial insurance".
Born in Temple, Maine, Dryden moved in 1846 with his parents to Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester Academy and later attended Yale College. In 1875, he founded the Widows and Orphans Friendly Society (now Prudential Financial) in Newark, New Jersey, becoming its first secretary and in 1881 its president, serving in the latter position until 1911. Dryden was one of the founders of the Fidelity Trust Company and was involved in the establishment and management of various street railways, banks, and other financial enterprises in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William J. Sewell, serving from January 29, 1902, to March 4, 1907. Dryden was a candidate for reelection, but withdrew because of a deadlock in the state legislature, which at the time elected U.S. Senators. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Relations with Canada (57th Congress) and a member of the Committee on Enrolled Bills (58th and 59th Congresses).
Dryden died in Newark, New Jersey on November 24, 1911 from pneumonia following removal of gall stones two weeks earlier. His estate was valued at $50,000,000. He was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark.
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