Robert Gordon (banker)
Robert Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Dumfries, Scotland |
| Died | May 16, 1918 (aged 88) Chewton Glen near Christchurch, England |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, financier, art enthusiast |
| Years active | 1846–1900 |
| Known for | Co-founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; President of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York |
Robert Gordon (born November 17, 1829 – passed away May 16, 1918) was a Scottish-American businessman, financier, and art enthusiast who held the presidency of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York and played a pivotal role as a co-founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1870.
Early life
Gordon entered the world in Dumfries, Scotland, on November 17, 1829. He received his education at Dumfries Academy and was the son of William Gordon and Sarah (née Walker) Gordon.
Career
His professional journey began in 1846 with Reid, Irving and Company based in Liverpool. By 1849, he had relocated to New York City to join Maitland, Phelps & Company. Gordon became a partner there in 1853 and remained active until his retirement in 1884, after which he moved back to England.
In 1885, Gordon accepted an invitation from American financier Junius Spencer Morgan to become part of J. S. Morgan & Co. in London. Throughout fifteen years, he collaborated closely with Walter Hayes Burns, J. Pierpont Morgan, J.P. Morgan Jr., and Walter Spencer Morgan Burns. By 1895, profit distribution assigned 40% each to Pierpont Morgan and Burns, with Gordon receiving a 20% share. He returned to the firm again in April 1900 when Clinton Edward Dawkins joined as a partner.
Gordon became a member of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York in 1852 and was granted life membership by 1864. His leadership roles included serving as manager, second vice-president, and holding the presidency three times between 1864 and 1876. Additionally, he was connected with London's Junior Carlton Club, New York's Century Association, and was the inaugural president of the Downtown Club from 1860 to 1862.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
In 1870, Gordon was one of twenty-eight individuals who established the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He fulfilled duties as treasurer for numerous years and remained a trustee until his departure for London in 1884.
Among his notable contributions in 1875 were Renaissance works by Piero di Cosimo—A Hunting Scene (circa 1494–1500) and The Return from the Hunt, both acquired from Thomas H. Hotchkiss’s estate in 1871.
In 1886, he donated a marble statue of Queen Victoria sculpted by Mary Grant.
His philanthropy continued in 1898 with the purchase and donation of Eastman Johnson’s painting The Funding Bill (1881), which portrays a congressional debate on national debt refinancing.
Further gifts included Sanford Robinson Gifford’s Tivoli (commissioned in 1870) and Alexander Helwig Wyant’s An Old Clearing, both presented to the Museum in 1912.
Personal life
On April 19, 1855, Gordon married Frances Burton (1830–1905) on Staten Island. Frances was the daughter of George Burton and Frances (née Robinson) Burton. The couple had six children:
- Frances Eleanor Gordon.
- William Gordon, noted for meeting President and Mrs. Roosevelt at the White House in 1905.
- Henry Alexander Gordon.
- Mary Gordon (1863–1952), who wed Lt. Col. Edward Meryon Tinker (1860–1926).
- Lilian Gordon, spouse of John Trevor Spencer (1859–1906), grandson of Bishop George Spencer.
- Diana Gordon, who married Rev. Francis McDonald Etherington.
Following his retirement from J. S. Morgan & Co., Gordon lived at Brockham Park in Betchworth, England—a property he acquired in 1901 for £24,000. During World War I, British Army forces occupied the estate before it was sold to Graeme Alexander Lockhart Whitelaw in 1918.
Frances passed away at Brockham Park on December 19, 1905. Gordon died on May 16, 1918, at Chewton Glen near Christchurch, residing at his son-in-law’s home at that time. At his passing, he was among only two surviving original founders of the Metropolitan Museum.
Legacy
In 1866, English artist Seymour Joseph Guy painted The Contest for the Bouquet: The Family of Robert Gordon in Their New York Dining-Room, which portrays three of Gordon's children alongside the Renaissance Revival dining room located at 7 West 33rd Street.[1][2]
This artwork was added to the Metropolitan Museum's collection in 1992, donated by William E. Dodge and through the Lila Acheson Wallace Gift.[1]