John Cleve Green (April 14, 1800 – April 29, 1875) was a merchant and former partner of

John Murray Forbes John Murray Forbes (February 23, 1813 – October 12, 1898) was an American railroad magnate, merchant, philanthropist and abolitionist. He was president of both the Michigan Central railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in ...

in the China trading house of

Russell & Company Russell & Company () was the largest American trading house of the mid-19th century in China. The firm specialised in trading tea, silk and opium and was eventually involved in the shipping trade. Foundation In 1818, Samuel Russell was approached ...

. Green was a major benefactor of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

and the

Lawrenceville School The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational preparatory school for boarding and day students located in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. Lawrenceville is a member of the Eight Schoo ...

, giving upwards of 1.5 million dollars, perhaps 2 million, to Princeton. On his death he also made major bequests to

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

and New York area hospitals.

Biography

Early life and family

Green was born on April 14, 1800 in

Lawrenceville, New Jersey Lawrenceville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States.

where his father, Caleb Smith Green, was a farmer.

Merchant career

As a young man, Green entered the house of N. L. & G. Griswold, merchants in the China trade on South Street in New York City, and displayed so much sagacity as a clerk that he was appointed

supercargo A supercargo (from Spanish ''sobrecargo'') is a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship. The duties of a supercargo are defined by admiralty law and include managing the cargo owner's trade, selling the merchandi ...

of the ship ''Panama'', a well-known

tea clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "C ...

of the day, and of other vessels. He subsequently made many voyages to China and South America. In 1833, he was admitted to the house of Russell & Co., in Canton (now

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

), China, and there laid the foundation of his large fortune. In 1839, on his return to New York, he married Sarah Helen, daughter of George Griswold, and carried on the China trade for many years thereafter, acquiring a fortune of about $7,000,000.

Other activities

Green was prominent in the social, business and public enterprises of the city. For many years he was a director of The Bank of Commerce, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and a manager of several leading charitable and public institutions. Always known as a man of clear views, strong convictions and great force of character, Green took an active interest in New York University,

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of ...

and Princeton College. He owned a town house on

Washington Square Park Washington Square Park is a public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. One of the best known of New York City's public parks, it is an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. ...

in New York City and a large country house with much land at New Brighton on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

where

Curtis High School Curtis High School, operated by the New York City Department of Education, is one of seven public high schools located in Staten Island, New York City, New York. It was founded on February 9, 1904, the first high school on Staten Island. Hist ...

now stands.

Personal life

The father of three children all of whom died in childhood, Green's brother, Henry W. Green, was at one time Chancellor of New Jersey, and his brother in law, Frederick Frelinghuysen,

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

from the same State. Green died in 1875, at his residence on Washington Square.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Green, John Cleve Princeton University people 1800 births 1875 deaths Businesspeople from New Jersey People from Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey 19th-century American businesspeople