Watson B. Dickerman
Watson Bradley Dickerman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Mount Carmel, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 1923 (aged 77) |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, businessman |
| Known for | Founder of Dominick & Dickerman; President of the New York Stock Exchange |
Watson Bradley Dickerman (January 4, 1846 – April 5, 1923) was a prominent American financier, recognized for establishing Dominick & Dickerman and holding the position of president of the New York Stock Exchange.
Early life
Born in Mount Carmel, Connecticut, Dickerman was the youngest among nine siblings born to Ezra and Sarah (née Jones) Dickerman. His education was completed at Williston Seminary in Massachusetts.
Career
Dickerman initiated his career in finance at the J. Bunn Bank located in Springfield, Illinois. In 1868, he relocated to New York City to become a member of the Open Board of Brokers, which merged with the New York Stock Exchange a year later in 1869.
On June 15, 1870, he partnered with William Gayer Dominick—who had been a New York Stock Exchange member since 1869—to establish the brokerage firm Dominick & Dickerman. The company broadened its reach by opening an office in Cincinnati in 1889, becoming one of only two exchange members operating there.
Between 1889 and 1891, Dickerman acted as Receiver for the Norfolk Southern Railway and subsequently served as its president from 1891 until 1899. Additionally, he held a directorship at the Long Island Loan & Trust Company.
Dickerman was elected president of the New York Stock Exchange in 1890 and maintained this role until 1892 before returning to his brokerage. Following Dominick’s passing in 1895, the firm played a key role in financing the Republic Iron & Steel Company in 1899, which unified several steel enterprises including Springfield Iron Company. He withdrew from active business pursuits in 1909.
Outside his financial endeavors, Dickerman presided over the New York Zoological Society and was affiliated with esteemed organizations such as the Metropolitan Club, Union Club, Century Association, and Meadowbrook Polo Club.
Personal life
Dickerman married Martha Elizabeth Swift (1847–1908), daughter of Samuel and Mary Swift from Brooklyn, on February 18, 1869. The couple had one son, Watson Bradley Dickerman (1871–1873), who died in childhood.
Following Martha’s death, he wed Florence Elaine Calkin on April 12, 1917, at Grace Church in Manhattan. Florence was the daughter of Freeman Brant Calkin from Yonkers. Their union produced one son, Watson Bradley Dickerman Jr. (1918–1955), a Harvard alumnus who served as assistant vice president at J.P. Morgan & Co. He married Mary McBurney Philbin, granddaughter of Eugene A. Philbin, former New York County District Attorney.
After retiring in 1909, Dickerman dedicated himself to breeding trotting horses and Guernsey cattle at Hillandale Farm in Scarsdale, New York—a property he acquired in 1884 and expanded to nearly 500 acres spanning Mamaroneck and New Rochelle.
Dickerman passed away on April 5, 1923, at his residence located at 998 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan—a prestigious cooperative designed by McKim, Mead & White and constructed by James T. Lee. His funeral services were held at Grace Episcopal Church. He left $20,000 each to the New York Zoological Society and the Home for Incurables; the remainder of his estate valued at about $5 million was bequeathed to his widow and son. The estate was subject to a $274,153 inheritance tax—the highest levied in Westchester County for several months. Two codicils rescinded over $500,000 previously allocated to relatives and charitable organizations. His son died in 1955; his widow passed away in 1963.