H. Otto Wittpenn
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Henry Otto Wittpenn (October 23, 1871 – July 25, 1931), sometimes spelled H. Otto Wittpen, was the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from January 1, 1908 to June 16, 1913. He was a member of the New Jersey State Highway Commission and was president of both the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company; and the First National Bank of Hoboken. He was also a director of the First National Bank of Jersey City. He was a maker of bricks with the firm of Houghtaling and Wittpenn.
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[edit] Birth
Henry Otto Wittpenn was born on October 23, 1871[1]to Dora (1847-?) and Henry Wittpenn (1844-?) in Jersey City, New Jersey. Henry senior worked as a fireman in 1880, and later owned and operated a grocery store at 320 Communipaw Avenue. Henry had the following siblings: John Julius Wittpenn (1874-?), born on March 5, 1874; Edna A. Wittpenn (c1875-1947), died on May 26, 1947 and was a teacher at Dickenson High School; Matilda G. Wittpenn, born April of 1879; and a second sister. One sister married Edwin M. Houghtaling and lived in Montclair, New Jersey; and the second sister married George Dinkel.
Henry junior worked at his father's store until his father died, then he worked at his uncle's store.
[edit] Politics
Wittpenn became interested in politics when he gave a speech for James J. Murphy at a convention in Jersey City. Murphy lost the election, but Wittpenn's speech was remembered. He formally entered politics in 1904 as one of the Hudson County, New Jersey supervisors. His run for mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey was in 1907 against the Republican incumbent Mark M. Fagan and he stayed in office until 1912 when he lost to Frank Hague. While in office he appointed Cornelia Foster Bradford to the Board of Education.
[edit] Jersey City Medical Center
While mayor he saw the completion of the Jersey City Medical Center begun under Fagan.
[edit] Marriage
He married Caroline B. Stevens Alexander (1860-1932) on January 6, 1915. Caroline had previously been married to Archibald Alexander, but her husband had been missing since the divorce. She divorced and waited 20 years to remarry. She died on December 5, 1932. Caroline was 11 years older than Henry. She was the eldest daughter of Edwin Augustus Stevens.
[edit] Run for Governor
David Dayton McKean writes:
Back in 1916 Frank Hague decided that his personal organization was more important than the Democratic Party. President Wilson had appointed his old opponent, H. Otto Wittpenn, comptroller of customs at the New York Customs House. Trying to stage a political comeback, Wittpenn obtained the Democratic nomination for governor. His election would have meant the end of Frank Hague's political career, for the state patronage, and particularly the appointment of Hudson County judges and prosecutor, would have been in the hands of an enemy. Probably no outright deal was made with Walter E. Edge, the Republican candidate, but Edge benefited, nonetheless, from Hague's hostility to Wittpenn. When Wilson ran for governor in 1910 he had carried Hudson County by 26,10-2 majority; Fielder, the Democratic candidate in 1913, received 25,959 more votes than his Republican opponent; but when Wittpenn ran in 1916 he received a meager 7430 majority, which was easily overcome by the Edge majorities in the normally Republican counties. Organization Democrats were not urged to vote Republican in that election; they simply were not urged to vote. There has been no anti-Hague Democratic candidate for governor since Wittpenn.
[edit] Port of New York
President Woodrow Wilson named Wittpenn as the civilian overseer, of the Port of New York. Wittpenn ran for Governor again in 1916, but was not elected. Henry registered for the draft as "Henry Whitpenn" but did not serve. In March of 1929 Wittpenn was appointed as a State Highway Commishioner by Governor Lawson.
[edit] Death
He died on July 25, 1931 at 9:30, at night, of blood poisoning. He had been in a coma for the previous two days. He was buried in Hoboken Cemetery.
[edit] Legacy
The Wittpenn Bridge opened in 1930, and crosses the Hackensack River between Jersey City, New Jersey and Kearny, New Jersey. It is part of NJ Route 7 and is a four-lane lift span.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ New York Times; July 26, 1931; H. Otto Wittpenn, Banker, is Dead
- New York Times; January 6, 1915. Late Col. E.A. Stevens's Eldest Daughter to Marry Naval Officer of Port Today. Divorced Husband Missing. But Bride-to-be, High Church Episcopalian, Waited 20 Years to Satisfy Herself of His Death. Mrs. Caroline B. Alexander, the eldest daughter of the late Col. Edwin A. Stevens, who was for many years the head of the old Stevens family of Castle Point. Hoboken, will be married today in the Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Hoboken to H. Otto Wittpenn, Naval Officer of the Port of New York and three times Mayor of Jersey City.
- New York Times; April 12, 1929. page 26. Mrs. Wittpen gets Post; Hoover Names Her Commissioner in International Prison Group"
- New York Times; July 9, 1931; page 28. "H. Otto Wittpen Improves Rapidly"
- New York Times; July 26, 1931; H. Otto Wittpenn, Banker, is Dead; New Jersey Manufacturer and Leader in Politics. Victim of Blood Poisoning. Ex-mayor of Jersey City. Naval Officer of Port of New York Under Wilson. Democratic Candidate for Governor. Starts as Grocer's Clerk. Elected Supervisor. Carried Every Ward as Mayor. H. Otto Wittpenn, 58 years old, former naval officer of the Port of New York under the Wilson Administration and several times Mayor of Jersey City, died last night at his home, Castle Point, Hoboken, New Jersey.
- New York Times; December 6, 1932; Mrs. H.O Wittpenn to be Buried Today. Service Will Be Conducted at the Residence by Bishop Stearly. Hoover Sends Condolences.The funeral service for Mrs. Otto Wittpenn, philanthropist and civic worker, who died on Sunday at her home in Hoboken, New Jersey, will be held this afternoon at 1:30 o'clock at her late residence, Castle Point. The Right Rev. Wilson R. Stearly, Bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Newark, will officiate.
- New York Times; May 27, 1947; Miss Edna A. Wittpenn
| Preceded by Mark M. Fagan |
Mayor of Jersey City 1908–1913 |
Succeeded by Frank Hague |
