Rufus T. Bush
| Rufus T. Bush | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 22, 1840 Tompkins County, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 15, 1890 (aged 50) New York City, New York |
| Occupation | Business, Oil refining |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Hall |
| Children | Wendell Bush Irving T. Bush |
| Parent(s) | Peter T. Bush Phebe (Sutherland) Bush |
Rufus T. Bush (February 22, 1840 – September 15, 1890) was an American businessman, oil refining industrialist, and yachtsman. His notable testimony against Standard Oil's monopolistic practices through railroad rebates left a lasting impression, while the 1887 ocean race of his sailing yacht Coronet and his subsequent circumnavigation on the same yacht evoked much interest in the national press.
Rufus T. Bush and his son Irving T. Bush are descended from Jan Bosch, a native of the Netherlands, who immigrated to New Amsterdam, now New York, in 1662. It is not clear if their family has any known connection to the family of Presidents George H. W. and George W. Bush.
Born in Tompkins County, New York, Rufus T. Bush grew up on his father's farm, then moved to Michigan in 1851. After graduating from Lansing High School, and spending two years at the State Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) and graduating in 1861 from the Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) in Ypsilanti, he and his wife were schoolteachers for two years.
Rufus T. Bush started in business by selling sewing machines in Chicago. He briefly moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the manufacture of machines before moving to New York City. He greatly profited by procuring the names and addresses of ministers around the United States and direct-mailing their congregations to sell wire laundry line.
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