William L. Harkness
| William L. Harkness | |
|---|---|
 William L. Harkness | |
| Born |
August 8, 1858 Bellevue, Ohio United States |
| Died |
May 10, 1919 (age 60) New Hyde Park, New York |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery |
| Residence | New York City, Glen Cove, New York |
| Education | Yale University (Class of 1881) |
| Occupation | Business investor, Standard Oil Heir |
| Spouse(s) | Edith Hale |
| Children | Louise H., William Hale Harkness |
| Parent(s) | Daniel M. Harkness and Isabella Harkness |
William Lamon Harkness (August 8, 1858 - May 10, 1919) was an American businessman. He was born in Bellevue, Ohio, the son of Daniel M. Harkness (who was the half-brother of both Henry Flagler and Stephen V. Harkness both founders of Standard Oil) and his wife Isabella Harkness. Upon his father Daniel's death in 1896, he inherited a large share in Standard Oil, a company in which his father had been an early shareholder. He is the also a cousin of noted philanthropist Edward Harkness who also benefitted from his father's involvement with Standard Oil.[1]
Will attended Bellevue Public Schools in Bellevue, Ohio and The Brooks Military School in Cleveland. In 1881, Harkness graduated from Yale University. He gave encouragement to Henry Durand, a classmate, friend and member of the Wolf's Head Society, when Durand arranged Bright College Years. Will and his cousins Charles and Edward Harkness were also members of Wolf's Head Society at Yale. William and Charles were among the founders and early membership of the society.[2]
In 1896, he moved from Cleveland, Ohio to a home at 12 East 53rd Street in New York City. He also owned a country home, Dosoris, at Glen Cove on Long Island. A yachtsman and sportsman, he was a member of The Union Club of Cleveland, the New York Yacht Club, the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and Piping Rock Club.[3]
WIlliam L. Harkness died in New York City in 1919 and was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York. He left an estate of $53,439,437 which would be approximately $740 Million in today's dollars, of which $37,272,254 was stock in Standard Oil. He left half of his estate including his houses at 12 West 53rd in New York and Dosoris at Glen Cove, NY to his wife Edith Hale Harkness. The remaining half was divided between his daughter Louise Hale Harkness and his son William Hale Harkness.[4]
Philanthropy
Shortly before his death, Harkness donated $400,000 to Yale University. The William L. Harkness Hall at Yale University was completed in 1927 as the gift of Mr. W.L. Harkness, BA 1881, and his family. It is a Collegiate Gothic building of Aquia sandstone with Ohio sandstone trim and contains offices and lecture & recitation rooms for the French, German, and Music departments. William Adams Delano was the architect.
Harkness Hall at Yale University.
References
- New York Times article on William L. Harkness with financial details of his estate
- Shipwreck Gunilda Dive
- Klein, Henry H. Dynastic America and Those Who Own It (1921) reprint 2003 Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7661-6729-2
- ↑ Western Reserve Historical Society Publication, Issue 102, pg 26
- ↑ Phelps Association Membership Directory, 2006
- ↑ Western Reserve Historical Society Publication, Issue 102, pg 26
- ↑ New York Times (june 28, 1922) | http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00B1EF939551A738DDDA10A94DE405B828EF1D3