His father and mother … By the time he retired in 1883 because of ill health he had doubled the Vanderbilt fortune, all in a period of less than ten years. William Henry Vanderbilt was the oldest son of Cornelius Vanderbilt [1794-1877], the American entrepreneur of both shipping and rail transportation during the 19th century. In his will William was more equitable in dividing his fortune than his father had been. Together, they had eight children: In 1883, he resigned all his company presidencies and had his sons appointed as important chairmen but left the day-to-day running of the businesses to experienced men appointed president.Vanderbilt was an active philanthropist, giving extensively to a number of philanthropic causes including the Vanderbilt was an avid art enthusiast; his collection included some of the most valuable works of the This article is about the railroad magnate. As a result Cornelius, the father, was disappointed that his son was seemingly worthless in helping him run the family's thriving shipping and railroad businesses.So in 1840 Cornelius decided to send William to Staten Island to run one of the Vanderbilt family's farms. He left bequests to his still living siblings, to his own children and to others. His father Cornelius frequently berated and criticized him, calling his eldest son a "blockhead" and a "blatherskite". Several other railroads were acquired, and in the mid sixties William became a vice president of both the New York and Harlem Railroad and the Hudson River Railroad. The Vanderbilt organization at that point essentially became a railroad operation. New York: Vintage Books. William Henry Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
He inherited nearly $100 million from his father Cornelius Vanderbilt and had increased it to about $200 million at his death less than nine years later. Please refer to it for further understanding of the Vanderbilt family tree.EIGHT PROMINENT DUTCH AMERICAN FAMILIES: THE ROOSEVELTS, VANDERBILTS AND OTHERS, 2015FIFTEEN PROMINENT DUTCH AMERICAN FAMILIES: THE VAN BURENS, KOCH BROTHERS, VOORHEES AND OTHERS, 2015PROMINENT DUTCH AMERICANS IN U.S. GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, 2015ALLIED EUROPE CAMPAIGN—1944/1945: TACTICAL MISTAKES, 2017THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN THE NETHERLANDS: MEMOIRS, 2017FRENCH REVOLUTION, NAPOLEON AND RUSSIAN WAR OF 1812, 2015For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. Members allow NNI to support the New Netherland Research Center and to undertake research and educational programs is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. railroad developer, financier Born: 5/8/1821 Birthplace: New Brunswick, N.J. William H. Vanderbilt Dead The son of Cornelius Vanderbilt succumbs to typhoid fever. Billy longed to show his father that he was not, in fact, a blatherskite, but never dared stand up to the Commodore.
William was a frail youth and did not appear to be the ambitious entrepreneur his father had been at the age of 19. William H. Vanderbilt, eldest son of Cornelius Vanderbilt, died at 10:15 o'clock last night at the home of his father, Fifty seventh Street and Fifth Avenue. The Vanderbilt railroad business then consisted of ten railroads, a sleeping car company and the Hudson River Bridge.Although Cornelius had never been much of a philanthropist, except for his one million dollar gift to Central University in Nashville, Tennessee, which then became the now prestigious Vanderbilt University, William became quite active as a philanthropist in his later years. He acquired the Chicago and Northwestern, the Nickel Plate, serving Chicago and Saint Louis, the Cleveland Railroad, the Columbus Railroad, the Cincinnati Railroad, the Indianapolis Railroad and many other smaller lines. Within a few years William was not only able to revamp and reorganize the railroad, but he also was able to make it into a profitable operation with a strong financial footing, again much to the surprise of many including the father, Cornelius.William was rewarded for his accomplishments in rebuilding the Long Island Railroad, and became essentially the driving force behind the railroad business of the Vanderbilts.
William Henry Vanderbilt was the oldest son of Cornelius Vanderbilt [1794-1877], the American entrepreneur of both shipping and rail transportation during the 19th century. He gave substantial additional gifts to Vanderbilt University and to the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Vanderbilt responded with: "Accommodation of the public? William was only 64 years old when he died. After joining as an executive of the In 1883, reporter John Dickinson Sherman questioned him about why he ran the limited express train: "Do your limited express trains pay or do you run them for the accommodation of the public?"
Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Cornelius at the end of his life knew that by turning the organization over to William, it would be managed the same way he would have managed it.William greatly expanded the railroad operations including the New York Central System. He was born William Henry Vanderbilt, in New Brunswick, New Jersey on May 8th, 1821, the son of the famous New York ferry and railroad pioneer Cornelius “The Commodore” Vanderbilt.