Oliver Harriman
Oliver Harriman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 12, 1904 (aged 74) Mount Kisco, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Known for | Co-founder of Low, Harriman & Co.; director at Bank of America, Guaranty Trust Company of New York, Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York |
Oliver Harriman (September 16, 1829 – March 12, 1904) was a notable American entrepreneur and a distinguished member of the Harriman lineage.
Early life
Harriman was born in New York City to parents Orlando Harriman and Anne Ingland. His brother Orlando fathered the influential railroad tycoon E. H. Harriman and was the grandfather of New York Governor W. Averell Harriman. Their grandfather, William Harriman, immigrated from England in 1795 and founded a prosperous trading enterprise.
Career
He initiated his professional journey at the dry goods commission firm McCurdy, Aldrich & Spencer. Subsequently, he partnered with his father-in-law James Low to establish Low, Harriman & Co., which became one of the leading and wealthiest dry goods companies in New York City.
Throughout his career, Harriman held director positions at several prominent institutions, including Bank of America, Guaranty Trust Company of New York (which later merged with J.P. Morgan & Co.), and Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (eventually Mutual of New York).
Personal life
Harriman wed Laura Low, daughter of James Low, the founder of Low, Harriman & Co. Together they had eight children who played significant roles in New York and Westchester society:
- James Low Harriman (1856–1928), who married Elizabeth Templeton Bishop, daughter of Heber R. Bishop.
- Emmeline Harriman (1860–1938), who was married sequentially to William Earl Dodge III, Stephen H. Olin, and Howland Spencer.
- Anne Harriman Vanderbilt (1861–1940), who married Samuel Stevens Sands Jr., Lewis Morris Rutherfurd Jr., and William Kissam Vanderbilt.
- Oliver Harriman, Jr. (1862–1940), married to Grace Carley.
- Jefferson Borden Harriman (1864–1914), spouse of Florence Jaffray Hurst.
- Joseph Harriman (circa 1865–1925), who married Eugenia "Jean" McLane.
- Herbert Melville Harriman (1873–1933), whose marriages included Isabella Hunnewell (divorced), Mary Madeline Brady (divorced), and Sarah Jane Hunter.
- Lillie Harriman (1870–1953), married to William Riggin Travers Jr. and Frederick Christian Havemeyer IV; she filed for divorce in 1925.
He maintained a residence located in Riverdale, Bronx.
On March 12, 1904, Harriman passed away in Mount Kisco, New York. His estate was appraised at US$20 million. Provisions in his will granted his wife ownership of their Riverdale home along with an annual income of US$500,000; his sister Rosamond H. Owen was bequeathed US$25,000.
Descendants
Among his descendants is his granddaughter Mary Bishop Harriman, who married Count Pierre Lecomte du Noüy (1883–1947).