- James Breckenridge Speed
James Breckenridge Speed (middle name sometimes spelled Breckinridge) (1844-1912) was a successful businessman in
Louisville, Kentucky and an importantphilanthropist .Although he was born in
Mississippi and only came to Louisville as an 11-year-old, James B. Speed was always considered a Louisvillian. His parents and siblings were all born in Louisville, and his family was the famous and powerful Speed family, which had had a great impact on the city. His uncle, alsoJames Speed , wasUnited States Attorney General underAbraham Lincoln andAndrew Johnson .James B. Speed was a financial leader who strongly influenced Louisville's development. He helped to establish Louisville's street railway system, and became the president of the
Louisville Railway Company . He saw early how significantcement would be in the growth of America, and he became the president of theLouisville Cement Company . He developed and operated large coal interests, and served as president of theOhio Valley Telephone Company .As a philanthropist he donated a statue of Abraham Lincoln, which stands in the State Capitol, and he helped to establish and maintain several schools. After his death, his wife,
Hattie Bishop Speed , set up a foundation in his name which helped to found theSpeed Art Museum and the Speed Scientific School.Speed died in 1912 in
Rockland, Maine , where he spent his summers, and he was buried inCave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.Persondata
NAME=Speed, James Breckenridge
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Speed, James Breckinridge (alternate spelling)
SHORT DESCRIPTION=entrepreneur and philanthropist
DATE OF BIRTH=1844
PLACE OF BIRTH=Mississippi ,United States
DATE OF DEATH=1912
PLACE OF DEATH=Rockland, Maine , United States
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