James E. Yeatman
James Erwin Yeatman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Near Wartrace, Bedford County, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | 1901 |
| Occupation(s) | Philanthropist, banker |
| Known for | Founder of banking institutions in St. Louis; co-founder of Washington University in St. Louis; president of the Western Sanitary Commission |
James Erwin Yeatman (August 27, 1818 – 1901) was a distinguished philanthropist and founder of banking institutions based in St. Louis, Missouri. He played a key role in establishing and leading the Western Sanitary Commission and was a co-founder of Washington University in St. Louis.
Yeatman was born near Wartrace in Bedford County, Tennessee, the son of Thomas Yeatman, a Nashville banker and iron foundry proprietor. Following his father's passing, his mother married politician John Bell. Yeatman received education at private schools and the New Haven Commercial School, traveled through Europe, then initially worked under his father before moving to St. Louis in 1842.
Upon settling in St. Louis, he launched Merchant Bank and founded the Mercantile Library in 1846, where he served as the inaugural president. Motivated by educator Eli W. Whelan, he established the Missouri Institute for the Education of the Blind. In partnership with Dr. William Greenleaf Eliot, Yeatman co-founded Washington University in 1853. His contributions also include founding the St. Louis Philharmonic Society, coordinating charitable organizations via the Provident Association, and heading the Western Sanitary Commission.
In 1872, Yeatman gifted land to the Catholic Church to create an orphanage responding to needs following a cholera outbreak; this institution later became known as the La Salle Institute. He was a driving force behind the development and administration of the Pacific Railroad (which later became the Missouri Pacific Railroad) and provided counsel to President Abraham Lincoln on matters concerning the region.
Yeatman held board positions with entities such as St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Bellefontaine Cemetery, where he was interred after his death in 1901. Nicknamed "Old Sanitary" due to his significant contributions during wartime with the Western Sanitary Commission, he was married twice and fathered five children.
The American author Winston Churchill based a character on Yeatman in his novel The Crisis.