Frederick D. Tappen
Frederick Dobbs Tappen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 28, 1902 (aged 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, bank president |
| Known for | President of Gallatin National Bank |
Frederick Dobbs Tappen (January 29, 1829 – February 28, 1902) was a prominent American financier who served as president of the Gallatin National Bank.
Early life
Tappen was born in New York City as one of eleven siblings to Col. Charles Barclay Tappen (1796–1893), a veteran of the War of 1812 and former New York City Commissioner of Public Works from 1835 to 1838. His ancestry traced back to Dutch settlers who arrived in Albany around 1630.
He completed his early education at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School and earned his degree from New York University in 1849.
Career
Starting his banking career in 1850 at the National Bank in the City of New York, Tappen initially worked as a specie clerk. He steadily progressed through various positions such as bookkeeper, teller, assistant cashier, and by 1857 had become cashier. In 1865, the institution adopted the name Gallatin National Bank in honor of its inaugural president, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin. Following James Gallatin’s departure in 1868, Tappen assumed the presidency and maintained this role until his passing in 1902. Additionally, in 1899 he was appointed to the board of trustees for the Fifth Avenue Trust Company.
During financial panics occurring in 1873, 1884, 1890, and 1893, Tappen led the Loan Committee of the New York Clearing House. His exemplary management earned him a silver tankard that had originally belonged to Sir John Houblon, the first Governor of the Bank of England. In 1892, he was chosen as trustee and treasurer for the Grant Monument Association, where he supervised the erection of Grant's Tomb.
Personal life
In 1851, Tappen wed Sarah Ann Brown Littell (1830–1912), daughter of Caleb Maxwell Littell and Mary Ross Clark Littell. The couple lived at 49 East 68th Street and had multiple children:
- Josephine Hilyard Tappen (1852–1889), who married Clarence Brooks in 1876.
- Albert Howe Tappen (1855–1881), who passed away unmarried at age 25.
- Grace Tappen (born circa 1860), who became wife to George Ingraham Seney Jr. in 1883.
- Ellen Stuart Tappen (born circa 1866), who married Isaac E. Adams in 1886 and subsequently Adrien B. Herzog.
Tappen died following a short illness on February 28, 1902, at Lakewood, New Jersey. His funeral service took place at All Souls Episcopal Church on Madison Avenue and was attended by notable financiers and business leaders such as J. Pierpont Morgan, George F. Baker, Levi P. Morton, and William Waldorf Astor. He was laid to rest at Trinity Church Cemetery in Manhattan.
References
- Notes
- Sources