WILLIAM HENRY VANDERBILT
Name: William Henry Vanderbilt
Born: May 8, 1821 New Brunswick, New Jersey
Died: December 8, 1885
William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 - December 8, 1885) was a businessman and
a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.
William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He inherited nearly $100
million from his father, one of the wealthiest men in the world, railroad mogul
and family patriarch "The Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt and had increased it
to almost $194 million at his death less than nine years later. At the time, he
declared himself the richest man in the world, which was the truth, as no living
person, even the world's richest royalty, even approached him in wealth at his
time of death. In 1841 he married Maria Louisa Kissam (1821-1896), the daughter
of a Presbyterian minister.
Vanderbilt said in an interview with the Chicago Daily News on October 9, 1882 "The
railroads are not run for the benefit of the "dear public"--that cry is all
nonsense--they are built by men who invest their money and expect to get a fair
percentage on the same." He was also known for a comment he made in 1883 when
being harangued by a reporter about the discontinuance of a fast mail train
popular with the public: "The public be damned!...I don't take any stock in this
silly nonsense about working for anybody but our own..." he snapped
exasperatedly. His mean, intimidating father Cornelius constantly berated and
criticized him, thinking Billy (as he was called), a "blockhead" and a "blatherskite",
two of the Commodore's favorite insults that he loved to hurl at his eldest son.
Billy longed to show his father that he was not, in fact, a blatherskite, but he
never dared stand up to the fearsome Commodore, always cringing under his father's
rudeness. His father carefully oversaw his business training, at age 18 starting
him out as a clerk in a New York banking house. After joining the executive of
the Staten Island railway, he was made its president in 1862 then three years
later he was appointed vice-president of the Hudson River railway. Billy showed
a knack for business, being a valuable part of the family railroad empire,
gaining him the long awaited respect and friendship that he felt he deserved
from his father. In 1869, he was made vice-president of the New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad Company, becoming its president in 1877. As well, he took
over from his father as president of New York Central Railroad, the Lake Shore
and Michigan Southern Railway, the Canada Southern Railway, and the Michigan
Central Railroad at the time of the Commodore's death.
Name: William Henry Vanderbilt
Born: May 8, 1821 New Brunswick, New Jersey
Died: December 8, 1885
William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 - December 8, 1885) was a businessman and
a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.
William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He inherited nearly $100
million from his father, one of the wealthiest men in the world, railroad mogul
and family patriarch "The Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt and had increased it
to almost $194 million at his death less than nine years later. At the time, he
declared himself the richest man in the world, which was the truth, as no living
person, even the world's richest royalty, even approached him in wealth at his
time of death. In 1841 he married Maria Louisa Kissam (1821-1896), the daughter
of a Presbyterian minister.
Vanderbilt said in an interview with the Chicago Daily News on October 9, 1882 "The
railroads are not run for the benefit of the "dear public"--that cry is all
nonsense--they are built by men who invest their money and expect to get a fair
percentage on the same." He was also known for a comment he made in 1883 when
being harangued by a reporter about the discontinuance of a fast mail train
popular with the public: "The public be damned!...I don't take any stock in this
silly nonsense about working for anybody but our own..." he snapped
exasperatedly. His mean, intimidating father Cornelius constantly berated and
criticized him, thinking Billy (as he was called), a "blockhead" and a "blatherskite",
two of the Commodore's favorite insults that he loved to hurl at his eldest son.
Billy longed to show his father that he was not, in fact, a blatherskite, but he
never dared stand up to the fearsome Commodore, always cringing under his father's
rudeness. His father carefully oversaw his business training, at age 18 starting
him out as a clerk in a New York banking house. After joining the executive of
the Staten Island railway, he was made its president in 1862 then three years
later he was appointed vice-president of the Hudson River railway. Billy showed
a knack for business, being a valuable part of the family railroad empire,
gaining him the long awaited respect and friendship that he felt he deserved
from his father. In 1869, he was made vice-president of the New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad Company, becoming its president in 1877. As well, he took
over from his father as president of New York Central Railroad, the Lake Shore
and Michigan Southern Railway, the Canada Southern Railway, and the Michigan
Central Railroad at the time of the Commodore's death.