John Insley Blair

John Insley Blair (August 22, 1802 - December 2, 1899) was an American entrepreneur, railroad magnate, philanthropist and one of the 19th century's wealthiest men.

Biography

His parents John Blair and Rachel Insley immigrated from Scotland; he was the fourth child of ten children. [http://libweb.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/blairfamily/#bio Blair Family Papers: Biographical Sketch of John Insley Blair] , accessed December 31, 2006] He married Nancy Ann Locke on September 20, 1826, and the couple had four children: Emma Elizabeth, Marcus Laurence, DeWitt Clinton, and Aurelia Ann. John I. Blair was introduced to business while working at a general store in western New Jersey where the young Blair established his first general store in the community of Butt's Ridge, New Jersey. On August 25, 1825, the name of the community was changed to Gravel Hill and Blair was appointed postmaster, a position he retained until July, 1851. [http://www.blairstown-nj.org/aboutus.htm Blairstown, Past and Present: An Historical Narrative] , accessed December 31, 2006] On January 24, 1839 the town was officially renamed Blairstown, New Jersey (2000 Population of 5,747) in his honor. He established Blair, Nebraska by purchasing a convert|1075|acre|km2|sing=on tract of land in Nebraska on May 10, 1869 after the Sioux City and Pacific Rail Road chose to cross the Missouri river at that location.

Blair managed his multi-million dollar businesses from rural Blairstown, New Jersey or from his private rail car upon which it was common for him to log convert|40000|mi|km annually. As president of 16 railroad companies, he amassed a fortune estimated at $70 million. Blair was the largest owner of rail mileage in the world. His religion as a Presbyterian and penchant for philanthropy led him to found more than 100 churches in close proximity to his railroads. [http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/blair_hall.html Princeton University: Blair Hall] , accessed December 31, 2006]

He died in Blairstown, New Jersey. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=John Insley Blair Dead. Leaves a Name for Philanthropy and Many Millions. Blairstown, His Home, Famous. His Determination to Acquire Wealth. His Vast Railroad, Mining, and Financial Enterprises. |url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9C05E2D6133DE633A25750C0A9649D94689ED7CF&oref=login |quote=John Insley Blair, "Plain John I.," as the people about his home in Blairstown, N.J., were wont to call him, died yesterday morning at the age of ninety-seven years. The end came in the town which bears his name and in the house in which he lived nearly all his life. He was one of the richest men in the world, and he made all of his vast fortune, estimated at nearly $70,000,000, himself. |work=New York Times |date= |accessdate=2008-07-25 ]

Holdings and joint holdings

*Lackawanna Coal and Iron Company (1846)
*Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (1852)
*Union Pacific Railroad (1860)

Notable philanthropy

*Blair Academy Founded (1848). [ [http://web.blair.edu/About_Blair/ab_history.shtm History of Blair Academy] , accessed December 31, 2006]
*Lafayette College Easton, Pennsylvania
*Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa)
*Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey
**Endowed a geology professorship, first held by Arnold Henry Guyot. The endowed chair is the second oldest at the school; as of the start of the 2000-01 school year there were 172 such endowed chairs. [ [http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/01/0507/2numbers.shtml Endowed professorships] , "Princeton Weekly Bulletin", accessed December 31, 2006]
**Served as trustee from 1866 until his death. In remarks at his installation as trustee, Blair noted that he had received little formal education and had spent most of his life as a businessman learning addition, but that now "I have come to Princeton to learn subtraction."
**Provided funds to build Blair Hall, which was constructed in 1897 by Cope & Stewardson.

Descendants of

John Insley Blair - Nancy Ann Locke

:DeWitt Clinton Blair Son ::Continued businesses and expanded his father's philanthropy::Princeton University trustee (1900-1909):C. Ledyard Blair Son of DeWitt Clinton Blair::Grandson of John I Blair founded Blair & Company investment bankers (1 Wall Street, New York, NY)

References

External links

* [http://www.blairsociety.org/history.htm Blair Society]
* [http://libweb.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/blairfamily Papers of John Insley Blair]