Matthew Vassar
Matthew Vassar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date East Dereham, Norfolk, England |
| Died | June 23, 1868 (aged 76) |
| Occupation(s) | Brewer, merchant, philanthropist |
| Known for | Founding Vassar College |
Matthew Vassar (April 29, 1792 – June 23, 1868) was a brewer, merchant, and philanthropist of English-American heritage. He is best known for founding Vassar College, a pioneering institution for women's education, in 1861. The city of Vassar, Michigan bears his name in recognition of his influence.
Early life
Matthew Vassar was born in East Dereham, Norfolk, England, to James and Ann Bennett Vassar, who descended from French Huguenots. The family relocated to New York State in 1796, settling near Manchester Bridge in Dutchess County. In 1801, James Vassar shifted from farming to commercial ale brewing by establishing a brewery in Poughkeepsie. At the age of 14, Matthew began an apprenticeship as a tanner but soon left this path to work in local retail businesses before joining the family’s brewing enterprise in 1810 as a bookkeeper and collector.
Business career
Following a malt-dust explosion in 1811 that destroyed the family brewery and resulted in the death of his older brother John, Matthew assumed control of the business at just 18 years old. He reconstructed the brewery on Vassar Street by 1814 and founded M. Vassar & Company, which grew to become the largest brewery of its kind in the nation at that time. The company broadened its reach with several operations across Poughkeepsie, New York City, and Lansingburgh near Troy. To facilitate regional distribution, Vassar developed a fleet of sloops and procured malt and hops from local sources.
In addition to brewing, Vassar invested heavily in banking as a founding member of the Poughkeepsie Saving Bank and held the position of village president. He also took over his brother Charles’s insolvent brickyard and served on the board of Farmers and Manufacturers National Bank. During the 1850s, he played a leading role in cultural development as president of the Poughkeepsie Lyceum of Literature, Science and the Mechanical Arts.
Vassar was deeply involved in philanthropic efforts, including support for abolitionist activities such as aiding fugitive slave John A. Bolding. His life ended abruptly while delivering his farewell speech to the Board of Trustees at Vassar College in 1868. Among his legacies were donations of land and financial support to local institutions like the Baptist Church on Lafayette Place.
Springside
Springside, Matthew Vassar’s estate located in Poughkeepsie, New York near US Route 9 on Academy Street, stood opposite "Woodside," the property owned by manufacturer G.C. Burnap. The landscape design was created by Andrew Jackson Downing; however, plans for the main residence by Calvert Vaux were never completed. Springside was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1969 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Vassar, Michigan
Established in 1849 along the Cass River by James M. Edmunds—Matthew Vassar’s nephew—Vassar, Michigan originated primarily as a lumber town. Edmunds named this community after his uncle, who provided initial financial backing.
Vassar College
Prompted by encouragement from his niece Lydia Booth, Matthew Vassar founded Vassar College, one of America’s earliest higher education institutions for women, which was officially incorporated by New York State in January 1861. On February 26 of that year, he contributed half of his wealth—amounting to $408,000—and donated 200 acres to establish the college campus. In 1864, he purchased Elias Lyman Magoon’s art collection to enrich the college’s cultural resources. The United States Congress exempted this donation from taxation in 1870.
USS Matthew Vassar
The USS Matthew Vassar was a wooden schooner with a centerboard, purchased by the United States Navy in September 1861 and commissioned in January 1862. During the Civil War, it operated within a Mortar Flotilla tasked with defending New Orleans and subsequently joined the East Coast Blockading Squadron. Following the conclusion of hostilities, the vessel was decommissioned and sold through an auction.
Vassar Home for Aged Men
In 1880, John Guy Vassar and Matthew Vassar Jr., nephews of Matthew Vassar, repurposed their uncle’s residence located at 9 Vassar Street into the Vassar Home for Aged Men, which functioned as housing for elderly men throughout much of the twentieth century. This establishment was recognized and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Vassar Institute
Two years later, in 1882, the same nephews transformed the old brewery at 12 Vassar Street into what became known as the Vassar Institute. This facility included a natural history museum, a library, and served as office space for both the Poughkeepsie Literary Society and the Poughkeepsie Society of Natural Sciences. The institute also earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Vassar Hospital
Vassar Brothers Hospital was created through an endowment from John Guy Vassar and Matthew Vassar Jr., who utilized their inheritance from Matthew Vassar’s brewing enterprise to establish an important medical center in Poughkeepsie.
Sources
- Gregg Smith, Beer in America: The Early Years—1587-1840 (Boulder, CO: Siris Books, 1998)
Further reading
- Vassar, Matthew. The Autobiography and Letters of Matthew Vassar, edited by Elizabeth Hazelton Haight, Oxford University Press, 1916
- Lossing, Benson J., Vassar College and its Founder, C. A. Alvord, New York, 1867
- Linner, Edward R., Vassar: The Remarkable Growth of a Man and His College, 1855 - 1865 (edited by Elizabeth A. Daniels), Vassar College, 1984
External links
- 1792 births
- 1868 deaths
- American brewers
- English emigrants to the United States
- People from Dereham
- Businesspeople from Poughkeepsie, New York
- Vassar College people
- University and college founders
- Educators from New York (state)
- 19th-century American businesspeople
- 19th-century American educators
- Burials at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery