Charles M. Fry
Charles Meriwether Fry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Madison County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | November 18, 1892 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | President of the Bank of New York |
Charles Meriwether Fry (April 24, 1822 – November 18, 1892) was a prominent figure in American banking.
Early life
Born on April 24, 1822, in Madison County, Virginia, Fry was the firstborn child of Henry Belville Fry (1794–1836) and Annie (Clarke) Fry. Among his siblings were Kitty Fry, who wed W. D. Fry, and Maria Elizabeth Fry, married to William Thomas Sparks. Additionally, from his father’s subsequent marriage to Lucy Clarke, he had three half-sisters: Sarah A. Fry (wife of R. S. Thomas), Mary E. Fry (married Jerry Garnett), and Clara H. Fry (who married Absalom G. Garnett).
His paternal lineage traced back to grandparents Catherine "Kitty" (Walker) Fry—daughter of Thomas Walker of Castle Hill—and Joshua Fry, a descendant of Colonel Joshua Fry, an explorer and cartographer who worked alongside Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson. Furthermore, his great-aunt Clary Stubbs (Walker) Hawes was the mother of Confederate Governor Richard Hawes and U.S. Representative Albert Gallatin Hawes.
Career
In 1848, Fry relocated to New York City. By 1874, he had been appointed director and vice-president of the Bank of New York. On January 18, 1876, he took over the presidency of the bank from Charles P. Leverich. During his tenure, notably in 1888, he publicly defended the institution’s financial soundness in relation to Charles G. Francklyn. Fry maintained his role as president until his passing in 1892, after which Ebenezer S. Mason assumed the position.
Personal life
Fry was united in marriage with Elizabeth Wickham Leigh (1824–1895), daughter of U.S. senator Benjamin W. Leigh and Julia Wickham. Her family boasted connections to notable political and cultural figures, including her nephew William Robinson Leigh, an artist who married Ethel Traphagen—the founder of the Traphagen School of Fashion. Ethel’s brother, John C. Traphagen, later served as president of the Bank of New York from 1931 through 1948.
Fry passed away on November 18, 1892, at his Manhattan residence located at 279 Lexington Avenue, a four-story brownstone designed by architect Charles Buek with a construction cost of $50,500. His final resting place is at Shockoe Hill Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.