Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt (January 30, 1794 – July 17, 1871) was an American businessman from New York City and a member of the Roosevelt family.
Roosevelt was born January 30, 1794 in New York City, the son of James Jacobus Roosevelt and Maria Van Schaack, and the last full-blooded Dutch Roosevelt of his line.[1] He attended Columbia College but academic life did not suit him, and he did not graduate. However, he was adept at business; an importer of hardware and plate glass, he became his father's partner, inherited a large fortune, and was one of the five richest men in New York City.[2][3] He was one of the founders of the Chemical Bank of New York City, which later became Chase.[2] He died July 17, 1871 in Oyster Bay, New York.
He married Margaret Barnhill (1799–1861) and had six children, five of whom reached adulthood: Silas Weir, James Alfred, Cornelius Van Schaack, Jr., Robert Barnhill (1829–1906), and Theodore (1831–1878), the father of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.