Richard Aldrich McCurdy
| Richard Aldrich McCurdy | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1835 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 1916 (aged 81) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Residence |
Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. Morris Plains, New Jersey, U.S. Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Attorney, business executive, banker |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Ellen Little |
| Children | Robert H. Curdy |
| Parent(s) |
Robert Henry McCurdy Gertrude Mercer Lee |
| Relatives |
Theodore Frelinghuysen (maternal great-uncle) Charles J. McCurdy (paternal uncle) Charles Coffin Little (father-in-law) Gardiner Greene Hubbard (brother-in-law) |
Richard Aldrich McCurdy (January 29, 1835, New York City – March 6, 1916, Morristown, New Jersey) was an American attorney, business executive and banker during the Gilded Age. He served as the President of the Mutual Life Insurance Company from 1885 to 1906, when he retired in the wake of a corporate scandal.
Richard Aldrich McCurdy was born on January 29, 1835 in New York City. His father, Robert Henry McCurdy, was a prominent New York City businessman. His mother, Gertrude Mercer Lee, was the niece of Theodore Frelinghuysen, a United States Senator and former vice presidential candidate.
McCurdy was of Scotch Irish descent on his paternal side; as early as 1503, King James VI leased the vast majority of the Isle of Bute to the MacKurerdy family (later McCurdy). His paternal great-grandfather, John McCurdy, emigrated to the United States from Ireland prior to the Declaration of Independence. His paternal uncle, Charles J. McCurdy, served as the United States Chargé to the Austrian Empire from 1850 to 1852.
McCurdy received a law degree from the Harvard Law School in 1856.
McCurdy was practised law with William Betts, Jr., and Lucius Robinson, who served as the 26th Governor of New York from 1877 to 1879.
McCurdy became legal counsel to the Mutual Life Insurance Company from 1860 to 1865. He became its vice president in 1865. He served as its President from 1885 to 1906. Under his leadership, the Mutual Life Insurance Company Building was built in Manhattan; according to John N. Ingham, "it was at that time the largest office structure in the world." Moreover, "the assets of Mutual Life grew from $103,627,812 to $476,861,165" from 1883 to 1903. However, McCurdy and other Mutual Life executives were accused of misappropriation of the company assets. By 1905, McCurdy was questioned over the salary his son received from the company. He retired in this midst of the scandal, in 1906.
...
Wikipedia