James J. Higginson
James Jackson Higginson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 11, 1911 (aged 75) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, military officer |
| Years active | Civil War period; post-war finance career until 1892 |
| Known for | Service as Second Lieutenant in 1st Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment; stockbroker with Lee, Higginson & Co. |
James Jackson Higginson (June 19, 1836 – November 11, 1911) was an American financier and military officer, recognized for his contributions during the Civil War and his later accomplishments in the financial sector.
Early life
Higginson was born in New York City to George Higginson, a Boston merchant, and Mary Cabot Lee. He hailed from a distinguished lineage that included his brother Henry Lee Higginson, the founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and his cousin Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a noted historian. After completing his studies at Harvard University in 1857, he briefly pursued legal studies in Berlin before returning to the United States ahead of the Civil War.
Career
Following his military service, Higginson embarked on a profession as a stockbroker with Lee, Higginson & Co., the Boston investment firm established by his father and John Clarke Lee in 1848. He continued in this role until he retired and sold his membership on the New York Stock Exchange in 1892.
His leadership extended across multiple sectors: he served as vice president and director of the Nome-Montana-New Mexico Mining Company; acted as a trustee for Greenwich Savings Bank; held a directorship at the Atchison and Eastern Bridge Company; and was among the founding trustees of the Metropolitan Trust Company in 1881. This broad involvement demonstrated his strategic participation in finance, mining, transportation, and trust management industries.
Military service
During the U.S. Civil War, Higginson held the rank of Second Lieutenant with the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment of the Union Army. He endured nine months as a prisoner at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. Shortly after his release, on April 9, 1863, he received a brevet promotion to Major of Volunteers but resigned approximately one month later.
Personal life
He married Margaret Bethune Gracie (born 1846), daughter of Archibald Gracie Jr. and Elizabeth Davidson (Bethune) Gracie. Margaret was the granddaughter of Archibald Gracie and sister to Confederate General Archibald Gracie III and James King Gracie, who wed Anna Louisa Bulloch—sister to Martha Bulloch Roosevelt. Together, they had five children:
- Margaret Gracie Higginson (1872–1936), who wed Clarence Stoughton Fiske in 1895.
- Elizabeth Bethune Higginson (1875–1974), who married Charles Cabot Jackson in 1909.
- Dorothy Lee Higginson (1878–1957), who became the wife of Arthur Delano Weekes Jr.
- James Jackson Higginson Jr. (1884–1930), a banker affiliated with Winslow, Lanier & Co., who married Virginia Lucy Mitchell in 1919.
- Thomas Lee Higginson (1887–1906), who passed away at a young age.
Higginson also held presidencies at both the Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Harvard Club of New York. His memberships included prestigious organizations such as the Century Association, City Club, University Club, and Riding Club.
He passed away from pneumonia at his residence in New York City on November 11, 1911.