James O. Bloss
James O. Bloss | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 15, 1918 (aged 71) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | President of the New York Cotton Exchange; domestic partner of John William Sterling |
James O. Bloss (September 30, 1847 – December 15, 1918) served as president of the New York Cotton Exchange and was the domestic partner of John William Sterling, a founding member of Shearman & Sterling LLP and a significant benefactor to Yale University.
Biography
Originating from a long-established New England lineage, Bloss was a descendant of Edmund Bloss, a freeman in Watertown, Massachusetts, dating back to 1639. He was born in Rochester to parents James Orville Bloss, Sr., and Eliza Ann Lockwood Bloss. After receiving a comprehensive education in business, he embarked on a career within the New York cotton industry. His professional experience encompassed positions at Gwathmey & Bloss, James O. Bloss & Company, and Woodward & Stillman alongside James Stillman.
Bloss was chosen as president of the New York Cotton Exchange in 1892 and secured re-election in 1893. Upon retirement, he continued to hold influential roles including president of the Fidelity Company and director of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway Company, operating out of his office located at 55 Wall Street.
He maintained a close personal and professional relationship with John William Sterling, acting as executor of Sterling’s will that allocated nearly $20 million to Yale University. Remaining single throughout his life, Bloss passed away five months following Sterling’s death. Their partnership was distinctive, blending Sterling’s reserved legal expertise with Bloss’s outgoing business skills.
Their social and professional circle included James Stillman, who managed the estate of James Gordon Bennett Jr. The combined estates of Bennett, Stillman, and Sterling amounted to approximately $76 million. After Sterling’s passing, Bloss fulfilled duties as one of his executors until his own demise shortly thereafter.
Bloss died on December 15, 1918, at New York’s Metropolitan Club where he had been residing since October of that year. Although Sterling’s testament allowed for Bloss to be interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery mausoleum alongside him, Bloss was ultimately laid to rest in his hometown of Rochester.