Frederic W. Stevens

Frederic William Stevens
Born	Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Died	January 20, 1928(1928-01-20) (aged 88) New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Attorney, financier
Known for	Longest-tenured bank director at Chemical National Bank (57 years)

Frederic William Stevens (September 19, 1839 – January 20, 1928) was a distinguished American attorney and financier.

Early life

Born in Manhattan, Stevens was the son of Frances (née Gallatin) Stevens and banker Byam Kerby Stevens, who owned the historic Stevens House in Astoria. His brothers, Byam K. Stevens Jr. and Alexander Henry Stevens, also achieved prominence in banking.

His paternal lineage included Major General Ebenezer Stevens and Lucretia (née Ledyard) Sands Stevens as grandparents. Among his notable relatives were his uncles John Austin Stevens, a banker, and Alexander Hodgdon Stevens, a surgeon. His first cousins included John Austin Stevens, founder of the Sons of the Revolution, and Lucretia Stevens Jones, mother of the author Edith Wharton.

On his mother's side, his grandfather was Albert Gallatin, the fourth U.S. Secretary of the Treasury who also served as ambassador to both the United Kingdom and France. His uncle James Gallatin held the presidency of Gallatin National Bank.

Stevens completed his education at Yale University in 1858, graduating seventh in his class. During his time there, he was affiliated with Psi Upsilon, Skull and Bones, and Phi Beta Kappa societies.

Career

Following Yale, Stevens spent three years primarily in Berlin before enrolling at Columbia Law School in October 1861. His legal studies were interrupted by the Civil War, during which he enlisted as a Private with the 22nd New York Militia from June to August 1862, mainly stationed at Harper's Ferry. After his military service concluded, he traveled in Europe for ten months prior to earning his law degree from Columbia in 1864.

He practiced law in New York City while overseeing his personal estate and held board positions at various financial institutions: Chemical National Bank (1871–1928), where his family maintained long-term shareholding; Gallatin National Bank (1879–1912); Bank for Savings (director starting 1886, First Vice President from 1902 to 1920); New York Gas Light Company (1871–1884); Eagle Fire Insurance Company (from 1873); and served as trustee for Bank of New York and Trust Company (1872–1922), later becoming honorary trustee. At the time of his passing, he was recognized as the longest-tenured bank director nationwide with 57 years at Chemical National Bank.

In addition to his financial roles, Stevens was trustee of the New York Free Circulating Library, participated on the circulating committee of New York Public Library between 1880 and 1908, served on the council of the University Club of New York from 1879 to 1893, and was connected with St. James' Episcopal Church.

Personal life

Stevens wed Adele Livingston Sampson (1841–1912), daughter of Joseph and Adele Sampson, on October 8, 1862. The couple owned a residence named "the Cedars" on Newport’s Bellevue Avenue and had four children:

• Adele Livingston "Daisy" Stevens (1864–1939), who married Frederick Hobbes Allen, son of U.S. Representative and former Minister to Hawaii Elisha Hunt Allen.
• Joseph Sampson Stevens (1865–1935), a member of the Rough Riders who married Clara Harriet Sherwood Rollins.
• Frederic William Stevens Jr. (1867–1868), who died in infancy.
• Frances Gallatin Stevens (1868–1956), married first to Count Charles Alexandre Gaston de Gallifet and later to Count Maurice des Monstiers de Mérinville.
• Mabel Ledyard Stevens (1872–1959), who became wife to Polish diplomat Count Micislas Orlowski.

After legally separating in 1886, Adele remarried Maurice, Marquis de Talleyrand-Périgord in 1887; their marriage ended in divorce by 1903. On December 8, 1904, Stevens married Alice Caroline Seely from Saint John, New Brunswick. They had one daughter:

• Frederica Stevens (1907–2000), who married John Hone Auerbach in 1927; following their divorce in 1944, she wed French oil executive Philippe Roger Bérard.

Stevens passed away on January 20, 1928, at his Park Avenue home in New York City. Funeral services were held at St. James' Church before interment at Green-Wood Cemetery. His widow was granted a life interest in his estate while most assets were bequeathed to their youngest daughter Frederica.