John Insley Blair
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John Insley Blair (August 22, 1802 in Belvidere,Sussex co, New Jersey - December 2, 1899 in Belvidere, New Jersey) was an American entrepreneur, railroad magnate, philanthropist and one of the 19th century's wealthiest men.
His parents John Blair and Rachel Insley immigrated from Scotland; he was the fourth child of ten children.[1] He married Nancy Ann Locke on September 20, 1828, and the couple had four children: Emma Elizabeth, Marcus Laurence, DeWitt Clinton, and Aurelia Ann.[1] John I. Blair was introduced to business while working at a general store in western New Jersey where the young Blair established his first general store in the community of Butt's Ridge, New Jersey. On August 25, 1825, the name of the community was changed to Gravel Hill and Blair was appointed postmaster, a position he retained until July, 1851.[2] On January 24, 1839 the town was officially renamed Blairstown, New Jersey (2000 Population of 5,747) in his honor.[2] He established Blair, Nebraska by purchasing a 1,075-acre tract of land in Nebraska on May 10, 1869 after the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad chose to cross the Missouri river at that location.
Blair managed his multi-million dollar businesses from rural Blairstown, NJ or from his private rail car upon which it was not uncommon for him to log 40,000 miles annually.[1] As president of 16 railroad companies, he amassed a fortune estimated at $70 million.[1] Blair was the largest owner of rail mileage in the world.[1] His religion as a Presbyterian and penchant for philanthropy led him to found more than 100 churches in close proximity to his railroads.[3]
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[edit] Holdings and joint holdings
- Lackawanna Coal and Iron Company (1846)
- Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (1852)
- Union Pacific Railroad (1860)
[edit] Notable philanthropy
- Blair Academy Founded (1848).[4]
- Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania
- Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa)
- Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey
- Endowed a geology professorship, first held by Arnold Henry Guyot.[3] The endowed chair is the second oldest at the school; as of the start of the 2000-01 school year there were 172 such endowed chairs.[5]
- Served as trustee from 1866 until his death. In remarks at his installation as trustee, Blair noted that he had received little formal education and had spent most of his life as a businessman learning addition, but that now "I have come to Princeton to learn subtraction."[3]
- Provided funds to build Blair Hall, which was constructed in 1897 by Cope & Stewardson.[3]
[edit] Descendants of
John Insley Blair - Nancy Ann Locke
- DeWitt Clinton Blair Son
- Continued businesses and expanded his father's philanthropy
- Princeton University trustee (1900-1909)
- C. Ledyard Blair Son of DeWitt Clinton Blair
- Grandson of John I Blair founded Blair & Company investment bankers (1 Wall Street, New York, NY)
- Grandson of John I Blair founded Blair & Company investment bankers (1 Wall Street, New York, NY)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Blair Family Papers: Biographical Sketch of John Insley Blair, accessed December 31, 2006
- ^ a b Blairstown, Past and Present: An Historical Narrative, accessed December 31, 2006
- ^ a b c d Princeton University: Blair Hall, accessed December 31, 2006
- ^ History of Blair Academy, accessed December 31, 2006
- ^ Endowed professorships, Princeton Weekly Bulletin, accessed December 31, 2006
