James J. Storrow

James Jackson Storrow II
Born	Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	March 13, 1926(1926-03-13) (aged 62) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Investment banker, politician, scouting leader
Years active	1888–1926
Known for	President of General Motors; Chairman of Nash Motors; second president of the Boy Scouts of America; advocate for Charles River Basin development

James Jackson Storrow II (January 1864–March 13, 1926) was a notable American figure in investment banking, politics, and the scouting movement. Initially pursuing a legal profession, he transitioned to become a partner at Lee, Higginson & Co. and held leadership positions within the automotive sector, including serving as president of General Motors and playing a significant role at Nash Motors. His political involvement included membership on Boston’s city council and school committee, as well as a close mayoral campaign in 1910. Storrow also held the position of the second president of the Boy Scouts of America.

He was instrumental in transforming the Charles River waterfront by advocating for the construction of a dam at Craigie Bridge, completed in 1910. This initiative resulted in the creation of the Charles River Basin, which paved the way for the development of waterfront parks culminating in the Charles River Esplanade. Despite resistance from his widow, Helen Osborne Storrow, a six-lane roadway—known as James Jackson Storrow Memorial Drive—was constructed alongside the Esplanade during the early 1950s.

Early and family life

Born in Boston in January 1864, James J. Storrow was the son of distinguished attorney James Jackson Storrow (1837–1897) and Anna Maria Perry. His lineage traces back to some of the earliest European settlers in what is now Maine. His grandfather, Charles Storer Storrow, served as chief engineer for the company responsible for building the Great Stone Dam and was Lawrence, Massachusetts’s inaugural mayor. Among his great-grandfathers were naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry and James Jackson, who was Massachusetts General Hospital’s first physician. He had an older sister named Elizabeth Randolph Storrow and a younger brother named Samuel.

Storrow completed his education at George Washington Copp Noble’s school in 1881, graduated from Harvard College in 1885, and earned his degree from Harvard Law School in 1888. As captain of Harvard’s crew team in 1885, he led them to victory at the Harvard–Yale Regatta.

During a climb of the Matterhorn in Switzerland, he met Helen Osborne, daughter of David Munson and Eliza Wright Osborne. They married and had one son, James Jackson Storrow III (1892–1977). Helen gained recognition as an international Girl Scout leader; both were active advocates for social causes throughout Boston and New England.

Business career

After being admitted to the bar in 1888, Storrow practiced law for a decade with Fish, Richardson, & Storrow, managing legal matters for Lee, Higginson & Co.. In 1900, he left his legal career to become a partner at Lee Higginson.

In 1910, he spearheaded a group of financiers who ousted founder Billy Durant from control of General Motors. Storrow assumed the presidency of GM on November 23, 1910. On January 26, 1911, he was appointed chairman of GM’s finance committee with comprehensive fiscal authority; Thomas Neal then took over as president. While serving on the board of the American Locomotive Company, Storrow introduced junior executive Walter Chrysler to GM’s Charles Nash, which helped Chrysler revive Buick. He departed from GM on June 4, 1916 after Durant regained leadership and subsequently served as chairman of Nash Motors until his death in 1926.

Storrow was also a longstanding director and significant shareholder of the United Shoe Machinery Corporation. Although he resigned from its board in 1909 to pursue a mayoral bid, he continued to wield considerable influence. In 1911, he and five other USMC officers faced indictment under the Sherman Antitrust Act; however, charges against him were dismissed due to insufficient evidence within the statute of limitations.

His directorships extended to firms such as United Fruit Company, Dunlop Tire and Rubber Corporation of America, Essex Company, William Underwood Company, and Fairbanks-Morse. Additionally, he served as trustee for both the Institute of Economics and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

Harvard

Storrow held the position of overseer at Harvard College from 1897 until 1909 and dedicated more than ten years to the graduate athletics committee. He also played a key role in founding the Harvard Magazine. Although he was reportedly considered a potential successor to Charles William Eliot as President of Harvard University, Storrow publicly declined any interest in assuming that role.

Public service

In Boston, Storrow was recognized for his commitment to advancing reforms in civil service, education, and law. Unlike many members of the Boston Brahmin elite, he opposed nativist sentiments as well as prejudices against Catholics, Jews, and immigrants. Serving as the inaugural president of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, he worked to broaden its membership base and championed the creation of a juvenile court system. As a leading Democrat, Storrow frequently acted as an intermediary among business leaders, municipal authorities, and labor organizations.

Charles River Basin

In 1901, Storrow initiated efforts to construct a dam on the Charles River with the goal of establishing the Charles River Basin, thereby protecting and enhancing the riverbanks for public recreational use. Although certain business interests, including factions within the Boston Chamber of Commerce, opposed the initiative, the Massachusetts legislature approved the dam project in 1903. The Boston Globe attributed its success to Storrow’s persistent advocacy, influence, and legislative testimonies. The dam was ultimately completed in 1910.

School committee

Storrow was elected to the Boston School Committee in 1901 through a coalition of Democratic, Republican, and Public School Association endorsements and served one full three-year term. He promoted increased utilization of school facilities and chaired the committee responsible for their extended use, establishing centers that provided practical education opportunities for working adults. In 1905, he spearheaded a campaign that successfully reduced the school committee’s size from 24 members to just five. Following this reform, he was elected to the new committee and held the position of chairman from 1906 to 1908.

Mayoral candidacy

In November 1909, Boston voters approved changes to the city charter that made municipal elections nonpartisan and lengthened mayoral terms from two years to four years. As a result, the scheduled 1909 mayoral election was postponed until January 1910.

On November 17, 1909, Storrow was nominated for mayor by the Citizens' Municipal League. Though primarily a Republican organization, Storrow also gained backing from Democratic figures such as James Donovan and Congressman John A. Keliher. His campaign operations were overseen by Edmund Billings, former secretary of Boston’s Good Government Association.

Storrow was narrowly defeated by former mayor John F. Fitzgerald in a close race tallying 47,172 votes to 45,757.

Labor issues

On July 8, 1913, Storrow was appointed chairman of an arbitration board tasked with resolving conflicts between the Boston Elevated Railway company and the Boston Street Carmen's Union.

In 1919, during rising tensions over police officers’ attempts to unionize under the American Federation of Labor (AFL), Mayor Andrew J. Peters designated Storrow to lead a Citizen's Committee charged with examining the matter. The committee recommended permitting police officers to establish an independent union unaffiliated with larger labor federations such as the AFL. However, Commissioner Edwin U. Curtis rejected this recommendation, which contributed to the outbreak of the Boston Police Strike.

Boston City Council

On May 24, 1915, the Boston City Council appointed Storrow to fill the seat vacated by the passing of William H. Woods. He gained unanimous support from all six members affiliated with the Good Government Association, while the remaining councilors divided their votes between Daniel J. Gallagher and Patrick A. Kearns. In the November election, Storrow sought a full three-year term and emerged with the highest vote count among eight candidates competing for three available positions. He was chosen as council president in 1917 but opted not to run for reelection in 1918.

Fuel administrator

Throughout World War I, Storrow chaired Massachusetts' public safety committee and held dual roles as both the state fuel administrator and the federal fuel administrator overseeing New England. He coordinated fuel allocation throughout Massachusetts and implemented regulatory measures to enforce fuel restrictions across the New England region. In 1922, Governor Channing Cox appointed him to lead an advisory coal committee responsible for managing coal rationing during the United Mine Workers’ general strike, with Storrow serving as consignee for all coal deliveries into Massachusetts.

Railroad consolidation

In 1922, Governor Cox designated Storrow as chairman of the Massachusetts committee tasked with consolidating New England’s railroads. He also headed the joint New England railroad committee, which in 1924 proposed combining all regional railroads into a single unified company.

Boy Scouts of America

Storrow joined the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America in 1919 and was elected as the organization’s second national president in 1925, a position he held until his death in 1926. After his passing, he was honored with the fifth Silver Buffalo Award in recognition of his significant contributions.

Death and legacy

Storrow passed away at New York City's Plaza Hotel on March 13, 1926, leaving behind his wife and son. He was laid to rest at Lincoln Cemetery in Lincoln, Massachusetts, where his wife Helen later commissioned the Boy and His Dog by Cyrus Edwin Dallin as a tribute. Helen was buried beside him following her death in 1944.

Storrow Drive, a roadway along the Charles River, bears his name despite both his and his wife's opposition to its construction.

See also

• History of the Boy Scouts of America

Further reading

• Henry Greenleaf Pearson, Son of New England: James Jackson Storrow 1864-1926 (Boston: T. Todd & Co., 1932)