Walter D. Douglas

Walter Donald Douglas (April 21, 1861 - April 15, 1912) was an American business executive who traveled first class aboard the "Titanic" with his wife, Mahala, and maid, Berthe Leroy, in cabin C-86.

Early life and businesses

Douglas was born in Waterloo, Iowa to George Douglas and Margaret Boyd Douglas. His parents had both immigrated to the United States; George Douglas was Scottish and Margaret Boyd was Irish, making Walter a Scots-Irish American.. [ [http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/usgenweb/mn/hennepin/bios/1923/douglawd.txt Bio of DOUGLAS, Walter Donald (b.1861), Hennepin Co., MN - The USGenWeb Archives] ] George Douglas was one of the co-founders of the Quaker Oats Company.

After attending high school, Douglas attended the Shattuck Military Academy in Faribault, Minnesota. He married Lulu Camp on May 19, 1884, with whom he had two sons, Edward Bruce and George Camp. Lulu died in December, 1899, and eight years later, on November 6, 1907, Douglas was married to Mahala Dutton.

Douglas and his brother George founded the Douglas Starchworks, at the time the largest starch factory west of the Mississippi. The Starchworks later became Penick and Ford and subsequently, Penford Food Ingredients, a division of Penford Corporation. [ [http://www.penfordfoods.com/aboutus/ourhistory.asp Penford Foods - Our History] ] [ [http://www.brucemore.org/scripts/history_douglas2.asp Brucemore: History - The Douglas Era : 1906-1937] ] He also had interests in the linseed oil business in Minneapolis, manufacturing under the name of the Midland Linseed Oil Company, which was sold in 1899 to the American Linseed Oil Company, eventually evolving into the Archer Daniels Midland Company. In 1899, after selling his linseed business, Douglas became a partner with Piper, Johnson & Case, a grain firm, where he remained until he retired in 1912.

Douglas was associated with several businesses, including the Canadian Elevator Company, the Monarch Lumber Company and the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company, among others. He was also a stockholder, executive board member, and one of the directors of the Empire Elevator Company, and was a member of the executive board of the Quaker Oats Company. He was also among the directors of the First National Bank of Minne­apolis.. [ [http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/usgenweb/mn/hennepin/bios/1923/douglawd.txt Bio of DOUGLAS, Walter Donald (b.1861), Hennepin Co., MN - The USGenWeb Archives] ]

=RMS "Titanic"=

Douglas, who had retired on 1 January, 1912, was known as a "Captain of Industry," having amassed of fortune of over $4 million. He and his wife spent three months in Europe looking for furnishings for their new home near Lake Minnetonka before booking return passage to the United States aboard the RMS "Titanic". [ [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/97/ Mr Walter Donald Douglas - Encyclopedia Titanica] ] Douglas died in the sinking, and his body was recovered by the CS "Mackay-Bennett" and brought back to Cedar Rapids to be buried in the Douglas family mausoleum at Oak Hill Cemetery. His wife, who survived the sinking along with their maid, was buried beside him upon her death in 1945. [ [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/97/ Mr Walter Donald Douglas - Encyclopedia Titanica] ] [ [http://www.blogomattic.com/2006/05/30/douglas-familiy-mausoleum/ Douglas Family Mausoleum] ]

A provision in Douglas' will required that George C. Douglas, [ [http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/usgenweb/mn/hennepin/bios/1923/douglagc.txt USGenWeb Archives - History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.; Volume I - Shutter (Historical); volume II - Biographical; volume III - Biographical - Bio of DOUGLAS, Captain George C. (b.1885), Hennepin Co., MN] ] his younger son from his first marriage, earn $2,500 in two consecutive years, in order to receive his share of the estate, but this provision was waived by the trustees of the will because the son had served in the British Army for five years during World War I, being wounded twice and being cited for bravery by Field Marshal Lord French. [cite news
author=
title=WAR HEROISM WINS $700,000 LEGACY; Captain George C. Douglas, British Veteran, Will Not Lose Share of Estate. TRUSTEES INTERPRET WILL Army Service Makes Up for Failure to Earn $2,500 a Year Required by Father.
date=
work=New York Times
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A00E4DB1E3FE432A25753C2A96E9C946395D6CF
accessdate=2008-08-07]

References