Seymour L. Cromwell

Seymour LeGrand Cromwell
Born	Template:Birth date Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	September 16, 1925(1925-09-16) (aged 54) Morristown Hospital, Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Financier
Known for	President of the New York Stock Exchange

Seymour LeGrand Cromwell (April 24, 1871 – September 16, 1925) was a prominent American financier who held the position of president of the New York Stock Exchange.

Early life

Born on April 24, 1871, in Brooklyn, New York, Cromwell was the eldest child of Frederic Cromwell, a trustee at the Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Esther Whitmore (née Husted) Cromwell. His siblings included Ellis Bowman Cromwell, who passed away at a young age, and twin sisters Dorothea Katharine and Gladys Louise Husted Cromwell. Both twins volunteered with the Red Cross during World War I, but following the intense pressures of their hospital duties, they tragically took their own lives in 1919. In recognition of their sacrifice, the French Government posthumously awarded them the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille de la Reconnaissance française.

Cromwell’s paternal grandfather, Seymour Legrand Husted, was a notable Brooklyn entrepreneur who led both the Brooklyn City Railroad and the Dime Savings Bank. For his education, Cromwell attended Harvard College before pursuing further studies at the University of Berlin.

Career

Following his academic pursuits, Cromwell gained experience in clerical positions across railroad, banking, and industrial companies. His involvement with the Stock Exchange began in 1896 when he became a partner at Strong, Sturgis & Co., a partnership he maintained until January 1, 1925. During the Spanish–American War, he served in Troop A (Squadron A). After World War I, in recognition of his humanitarian efforts aiding French orphans, France honored him as an Officer of the Legion of Honor.

In April 1921, Cromwell was appointed president of the New York Stock Exchange, succeeding William H. Remick. Having been a member since 1896 and serving on its Board of Governors from 1914, he completed three terms before Edward H. H. Simmons took over in May 1924. His presidency focused heavily on eradicating fraudulent stock practices and combating bucket shops. These initiatives played a significant role in establishing the Better Business Bureau of New York. By 1925, Cromwell expressed confidence that Wall Street was actively embodying the economic and social principles championed during wartime.

Later career

Upon concluding his tenure as Exchange president, Cromwell dedicated himself to his role as partner at Strong, Sturgis & Co., headquartered at 11 Wall Street. Beginning January 1, 1925, he also affiliated with Carlisle, Mellick & Co., an odd lot brokerage firm located at 41 Exchange Place.

Personal life

On November 29, 1899, Cromwell married Agnes Mabel Whitney (1874–1959), a suffragist who later gained recognition as a poet and writer. She descended from the distinguished merchant Stephen Whitney and was daughter to Stephen Suydam Whitney and Josephine (née Thomson) Whitney. Her lineage included prominent individuals such as New Jersey Senator Arthur Whitney and ties to the Livingston and Bell families. The couple had four sons:

• Frederic Cromwell (1900–1973), who married Caroline Cooper Prentice in 1923 (divorced in 1925), then Cornelia Livingston in 1927 (divorced in 1947), followed by Iris Barnett Lyon in 1948.
• Seymour Legrand Cromwell Jr. (1902–1965), wed Leta Clews in 1936; after their divorce, he remarried Olivia Morgan Knight in 1951.
• Whitney Cromwell (1904–1930), a Harvard alumnus studying at Paris’s École des Beaux-Arts; he died from pneumonia at age twenty-five.
• John Cromwell (1914–1979), an actor and playwright who made his Broadway debut in 1935.

The family’s residence was located at 169 East 74th Street in New York City (previously residing on East 53rd Street). Additionally, they owned a substantial country estate spanning 112 acres in Mendham, New Jersey—a Georgian-style mansion with forty-seven rooms—presented to Cromwell by his father in 1892. In 1927, Agnes sold this property for $50,000 to the Sisters of Christian Charity before relocating to 993 Park Avenue.

Cromwell passed away on September 16, 1925, at Morristown Hospital after being thrown from a horse near Bernardsville, New Jersey. The New York Stock Exchange closed temporarily so members could attend his funeral service at St. Bartholomew's Church. He was laid to rest at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. His widow inherited his entire estate and remained active in civic causes, advocating for women's rights and unemployment support until her death in 1959. Notably, she was the first woman appointed to both the New Jersey State Board of Education and the New Jersey State Hospital Board.

Descendants

His eldest son fathered Seymour Legrand Cromwell II (1934–1977), a distinguished oarsman and Princeton alumnus who specialized in naval architecture. Seymour played a significant role in securing the silver medal for the United States during the 1964 Olympic Games held in Tokyo.

References

Notes

Sources

External links

• Image of Mrs. Seymour (Agnes Whitney) Cromwell featured in Vogue in 1950.