George Gosman DeWitt Jr. (April 9, 1845 – January 12, 1912) was a prominent American lawyer and philanthropist.

Early life

DeWitt was born in

Callicoon Callicoon is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 3,057 at the 2010 census. The town is in the northwestern part of the county. History The town was formed in 1842 from the Town of Liberty. The original spel ...

in New York's Sullivan County on April 9, 1845. He was one of seven children born to George Gosman DeWitt Sr. and Julia (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Foster in

Lansingburg, New York Lansingburgh was a village in the north end of Troy. It was first laid out in lots and incorporated in 1771 by Abraham Jacob Lansing, who had purchased the land in 1763. In 1900, Lansingburgh became part of the City of Troy. Demographics Lansi ...

) DeWitt, who married in 1836. Among his siblings were Jeanette DeWitt; Peter DeWitt, a merchant; Julian Foster DeWitt, who married Ellen Tiffany; William Gillespie DeWitt; Theodore DeWitt; and Susan Caroline DeWitt. His paternal grandparents were Jenat (née Gosman) DeWitt and Peter DeWitt, the "attorney for the New York City Mayor's Court", and "a man of considerable and varied accomplishments." Among his great-grandparents were Johannes Radcliff DeWitt, a mill-owning Revolutionary War soldier who served as Sheriff of Dutchess County, New York. Among his extended family was Charles DeWitt, a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

; and Charles G. DeWitt, a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

and U.S. Chargé d'Affaires, Guatemala. His father graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1826 and worked in a mercantile office in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. When his "health became impaired," he moved to Callicoon, where George Jr. was born. Young George attended Dr. Charles Anthon's Columbia Grammar School, followed by

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, earning an

A.B. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in 1867 and an A.M. degree in 1869, and

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

, where he earned an

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree in 1870.

Career

DeWitt followed in his grandfather's footsteps and began practicing law. He joined the law firm of DeWitt, Lockman & Kip, whose partners included his uncles C. J. and E. DeWitt and John Thomas Lockman and

George Goelet Kip George Goelet Kip (January 15, 1845 – June 27, 1926) was a New York lawyer, heir and member of the Goelet family during the Gilded Age. Early life Kip was born on January 15, 1845, in New York City. He was the son of Elbert Samuel Kip (1799� ...

. Based in his grandfather's former office at 88 Nassau Street and later renamed DeWitt, Lockman & DeWitt, the firm was known for its work defending the estates of New York's old Dutch families. He was a trustee of his alma mater, Columbia University (beginning in 1890), the Fulton Trust Company, the

New York Life Insurance and Trust Company New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, the

Greenwich Savings Bank The Greenwich Savings Bank was an American savings bank based in New York City that operated from 1833 to 1981. At the time of its closure in 1981, it was the 16th largest bank in the U.S. by total deposits. History The Greenwich Savings Bank wa ...

. He was also a director of the Chemical National Bank. DeWitt was a governor of New York Hospital and

Roosevelt Hospital Mount Sinai West, opened in 1871 as Roosevelt Hospital, is affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System. The 514-bed facility is located in the Midtown West neighborhood of New York City. The fac ...

, and a vice-president of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. He was elected a member of the

Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York is a charitable organization in New York City of men who are descended from early inhabitants of the State of New York. Charles R. Mackenzie is the current president. The organization preserves ...

on March 4, 1889, and, in 1904, served two terms as the Society's 42nd President, succeeding

Stuyvesant Fish Stuyvesant Fish (June 24, 1851 – April 10, 1923) was an American businessman and member of the Fish family who served as president of the Illinois Central Railroad. He owned grand residences in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island, entertain ...

Personal life

On May 23, 1877, DeWitt was married to Ellen "Ella" Reed Flagg (1852–1933). DeWitt died of heart disease on January 12, 1912, at his home, 39 West 51st Street in New York City. He was buried at

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several bl ...

in Brooklyn.

References

External links

*
DeWitt Family Papers, 1750-1890
at the

New York State Library The New York State Library is a research library in Albany, New York, United States. It was established in 1818 to serve the state government of New York and is part of the New York State Education Department. The library is one of the largest ...

.
Portrait of George Gosman DeWitt Jr.
by De Witt McClellan Lockman, 1900. {{DEFAULTSORT:DeWitt, George Gosman 1845 births 1912 deaths People from Sullivan County, New York American people of Dutch descent Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School alumni Columbia College (New York) alumni Columbia Law School alumni Lawyers from New York City Presidents of the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York 19th-century American lawyers Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery De Witt family