George Cabot Lee Jr.
George Cabot Lee Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 28 October 1950 (aged 79) Westwood, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | President of Lee, Higginson Safe Deposit Company; philanthropy during World War I |
George Cabot Lee Jr. (February 2, 1871 – October 28, 1950) was a prominent Boston-based American banker and the sibling of Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, who was the inaugural spouse of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Early life
Lee was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George Cabot Lee (1830–1910), a banker, and Caroline Watts (née Haskell) Lee (1835–1914). His brothers and sisters included Rose Lee, married to Reginald Gray; Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt; and Harriet Paine Lee, who wed Charles Mifflin Hammond, the campaign manager for William Howard Taft in California.
On his father’s side, his grandparents were John Clarke Lee of the distinguished Cabot family and Harriet Paine (née Rose) Lee. Through his sister Alice, he was uncle to Alice Roosevelt Longworth. His maternal lineage traced back to Elisha Haskell and Alice Russell (née Hathaway) Haskell.
Lee completed his studies at Harvard University in 1894 and maintained the position of class treasurer for an extensive period of thirty-one years.
Career
Beginning on September 1, 1900, Lee became a junior partner at Lee, Higginson & Co., a firm established by his grandfather in 1848. He subsequently assumed the presidency of the Lee, Higginson Safe Deposit Company and oversaw the company’s operations during its closure phase.
His professional roles extended to serving as a director for several organizations including Revere Sugar Refinery, Massachusetts Fire and Marine Insurance Company, United Fruit Company, U.S. Smelting and Refining Company, and the Ponce and Guayama Railroad. Additionally, he acted as trustee for the Central Aguirre Sugar Company, which managed the Central Aguirre refinery located in Guayama, Puerto Rico.
Philanthropic works
Throughout the duration of World War I, Lee actively contributed to fundraising efforts supporting the Allies, the American Red Cross, YMCA, and Knights of Columbus. In recognition of his contributions, Serbia awarded him the Order of St. Sava. His charitable involvement also included serving as treasurer for the Boston Floating Hospital, acting as trustee of YMCA Boston, holding a directorship at the Free Hospital for Women, and assisting with fundraising initiatives for the YWCA.
Personal life
Lee entered into marriage with Madeline Jackson (1878–1920), daughter of James Jackson and Rebecca Nelson (Borland) Jackson, on November 17, 1898. Together they had three sons:
- George Cabot Lee III (1899–1970), who wedded Kathleen Bowring Stoddart from Surrey in 1928.
- James Jackson Lee (1900–1972), who married Emily Schniewind in 1926.
- Nelson Borland Lee (1906–1967), who took Mary Flagg as his wife.
Following Madeline’s passing, Lee remarried Gertrude Wylde (Cramer) Bartlett (1878–1971), widow of Edwin Bartlett, in Paris during July 1926.
Lee passed away on October 28, 1950, at his residence in Westwood, Massachusetts and was interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.