Edwin Burr Curtiss
Edwin Burr Curtiss | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | 30 March 1928 (aged 75) Mountain Lake, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, bookseller |
| Known for | Board member of A. G. Spalding Bros., co-founder of Cunningham, Curtiss & Welsh |
Edwin Burr Curtiss (July 14, 1852 – March 30, 1928) was an American lawyer, bookseller, and board member of A. G. Spalding Bros.
Early life
Curtiss entered the world in Fairfield, Connecticut as the third offspring of Henry Tomlinson Curtiss and Mary Eliza Henderson Beardsley. His sibling, Julian Wheeler Curtiss, managed the Spalding sports equipment enterprise. Their family roots extend to William Curtiss, an early settler and leader in colonial Stratford.
Following two years abroad, Edwin earned his degree from Columbia Law School.
Career
After practicing law in New York City for a couple of years, Curtiss co-established Cunningham, Curtiss & Welsh in 1878. This company specialized in wholesale stationery and bookselling, focusing on blank books, printing, and lithography, with headquarters in San Francisco; Curtiss himself operated mainly out of New York.
In 1892, he played a role in founding the Fairfield County Golf Club located in Greenwich, Connecticut, which was later renamed Greenwich Country Club.
From 1900 until at least 1908, Curtiss held the position of vice president at the American Booksellers Association. He retired from his legal career in 1908 and served as a director for A. G. Spalding Bros.
Personal life
Curtiss was married on two occasions. His first spouse, Carrie A. Case—daughter of Joseph S. Case of New York and sister to Mary Louise Case, who was married to his brother—passed away in 1907 at St. Luke's Hospital in New York.
His second marriage was to Virginia Henry Curtiss (1875–1941), who was born in Vienna and received her education in England. Curtiss commissioned the architectural firm Carrère and Hastings, renowned for designing the Greenwich Country Club clubhouse, to construct his home on North Street in Greenwich, Connecticut.
He died at his residence in Mountain Lake, Florida on March 30, 1928, and his remains were interred at Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich. Afterward, Virginia remarried August Heckscher, a German-born financier and philanthropist.