William E. Dodge Jr.
William Earl Dodge Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 1903 (aged 71) Bar Harbor, Maine, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, social reformer, benefactor |
| Known for | Partner in Phelps Dodge Corporation |
William Earl Dodge Jr. (February 15, 1832 – August 9, 1903) was a prominent American entrepreneur, social reformer, and benefactor. For an extended period, he acted as one of the two principal partners in the Phelps Dodge Corporation, which ranked among the largest copper mining enterprises in the United States.
Early life
Born in New York City on February 15, 1832, Dodge was the eldest child of Melissa (née Phelps) Dodge and William E. Dodge Sr. (1805–1883), who served as a U.S. Representative from New York. His father and maternal grandfather, Anson Greene Phelps, were co-founders of the import company known as Phelps Dodge.
During the American Civil War, Dodge supported the Union by participating in the Union League Club and advising the Women's Central Association of Relief. His involvement with a New York State commission overseeing conditions for troops earned him formal recognition from the legislature.
Career
Dodge commenced his career at Phelps Dodge Corporation and became a partner in 1864. Together with his cousin, Daniel Willis James, he shifted the company’s focus from importing to becoming one of the world’s foremost mining corporations. They engaged chemistry professor James Douglas to evaluate mining sites in the Southwestern United States. Douglas recommended acquiring interests in the Detroit Copper Mining Company of Arizona, which owned copper claims near Warren, Arizona.
By 1881, Phelps Dodge had secured control over Detroit Copper Mining Company and obtained a minority share in the neighboring Copper Queen Mine located in Bisbee, Arizona. Following the discovery of the profitable Atlanta lode in 1884 at both sites, Phelps Dodge purchased full ownership of Copper Queen and consolidated its assets into the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company in 1885, appointing Douglas as president and part-owner.
To facilitate increased production at Bisbee, Dodge and his associates founded the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad (later known as the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad) in 1888. As Phelps Dodge expanded into a global mining powerhouse, Dodge held board positions across various industries including mining, railroads, real estate, water supply, and others.
Apart from his role at Phelps Dodge, Dodge occupied executive positions with entities such as the Ansonia Clock Company, American Brass Company, Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, Lackawanna Steel Company, Morningside Realty Company, United Globe Mines, and the New York Life Insurance Company. At his passing, he was serving as vice president of the New York Chamber of Commerce.
Philanthropic work
A devout Presbyterian, Dodge led the American branch of the Evangelical Alliance as president and succeeded his father as head of the National Temperance Society. He also held the position of vice-president at the American Sunday School Union. His involvement with New York City's Young Men's Christian Association included spearheading fundraising campaigns for its first two buildings.
Dodge chaired the National Arbitration Committee and played influential roles in supporting major cultural organizations such as serving as chairman of the executive committee for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, vice-president of the American Museum of Natural History, and contributing to governance at the New York Botanical Garden.
He was affiliated with numerous esteemed societies including the Linnean Society, American Historical Association, New York Academy of Sciences, American Fine Arts Society, New York Geographical Society, New-York Historical Society, New England Society of New York, Century Association, and National Academy of Design.
Personal life
In April 1854, Dodge wed Sarah Tappan Hoadley (1832–1909), the daughter of David Hoadley, who served as president of the Panama Railroad Company. Together, they had six children:
- Grace Hoadley Dodge (1856–1914), notable for co-founding Teacher's College at Columbia University and becoming the first female member of the New York City Board of Education; her estate was valued at over $6.9 million, with substantial contributions made to religious, charitable, and educational organizations.
- William Earl Dodge III (1858–1886), married to Emmeline Harriman, daughter of Oliver Harriman.
- Cleveland Hoadley Dodge (1860–1926), who pursued the family business and founded the Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation in 1917.
- Mary Melissa Hoadley Dodge (1861–1934), who remained unmarried.
- Alice Clinton Hoadley Dodge (1865–1948), married philanthropist William Church Osborn, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Morris Jesup Dodge (1867–1875), who passed away in childhood.
William E. Dodge Jr. succumbed to heart failure on August 9, 1903, at his summer residence in Bar Harbor, Maine.
In 1905, Sarah Tappan Hoadley acquired the Willamette Meteorite and subsequently donated it to the American Museum of Natural History after showcasing it at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition; it has been exhibited there since 1906.
Residence
In 1863, Dodge commissioned the construction of his summer home known as Greyston, a granite mansion featuring a gambrel roof and Gothic Revival style designed by James Renwick Jr., located in Riverdale, Bronx, New York City. Along with Lyndhurst in Tarrytown and Ingleside in Dobbs Ferry, it stands as one of only three surviving mid-19th century estates in the extensively redeveloped lower Hudson region. In 1961, Dodge’s descendants donated Greyston to Teachers College at Columbia University for use as a conference center; it remained under their use until the 1970s before being sold to the Zen Buddhist Community and subsequent owners.