James Stillman

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James Jewett Stillman (June 09, 1850-March 15, 1918) was a noted American businessman who invested in bland, banking, and railroads in New York, Texas, and Mexico. The son of Elizabeth Pamela Stillman (neé Goodrich) and Charles Stillman, James Stillman was born in Brownsville, Texas. Charles Stillman had significant business interests which James acquired in 1872. He expanded those to control of sixteen Texas banks and a significant land holdings in the Rio Grande Valley, particularly Corpus Christi and Kerrville, Texas. Along with W. H. Harriman, Jacob Henry Schiff and William Rockefeller he controlled the most important Texas railroads (including the Texas and Pacific Railroad, the Southern Pacific Railroad, the International-Great Northern Railroad, the Union Pacific Southern Railway, the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway, and the Mexican National Railroad) and the National City Bank of New York.

In 1876 Stillman supported Porfirio Díaz's overthrow of the government of Mexico by the Revolution of Tuxtepec.

He is considered to have been one of the 100 wealthiest Americans, having left an enormous fortune. [1] Stillman was related to even greater wealth by marriage; his two daughters (Sarah Elizabeth Stillman and Isabel Goodrich Stillman) married the sons (William Goodsell Rockefeller and Percy Avery Rockefeller respectively) of business associate and friend, and chairman of Standard Oil William Rockefeller.

[edit] References

• John K. Winkler, The First Billion: The Stillmans and the National City Bank (New York: Vanguard, 1934).
• Texas Handbook

Preceded by Percy Pyne

President/Chairman of National City Bank 1891–1909 (President) 1909-1918 (Chairman)

Succeeded by Frank A. Vanderlip