John Joy Edson (May 17, 1846 – July 15, 1935), was president of the Washington Loan and Trust Company, Equitable Co-operative Building Association, treasurer of the

American Geographical Society The American Geographical Society (AGS) is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the ...

, and Chairman of the Board and treasurer of the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...

Biography

John Joy Edson was born on May 17, 1846, in

Jefferson, Ohio Jefferson is a village in and the county seat of Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,226 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ashtabula micropolitan area, northeast of Cleveland. Modern-day Jefferson sports the worl ...

. He attended public schools in Ohio. At 14, he enlisted in the 61st New York Volunteers serving in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

in the Virginia and Maryland campaigns. He was a clerk in the office of the

Comptroller of the Currency The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is an independent bureau within the United States Department of the Treasury that was established by the National Currency Act of 1863 and serves to charter, bank regulation in the United States ...

, from 1863 to 1875. He graduated from

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 ...

in 1868 with a J.D. He practiced patent law from 1875 to 1881 with his brother, Joseph Edson. In 1879, he organized the Equitable Co-operative Building Association, serving as secretary, and president from 1898 to 1935. He was vice president of the Washington Loan and Trust Company from 1889, serving as president from 1894 to 1917, and chairman of the board from 1917 to 1935. He served on the board of Columbia National Bank, National Metropolitan Bank, and Potomac Fire Insurance Company. He was president of the

Greater Washington Board of Trade The Greater Washington Board of Trade is a network of business and non-profit leaders in Washington, D.C. The Board of Trade invests in the cultural infrastructure of the area and promotes the construction and maintenance of public venues, includi ...

from 1901 to 1902, and Washington Bankers Association, and was treasurer of the

U.S. Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging ...

from 1912 to 1935. He chaired the Citizens' Executive Committee, for the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

in 1892. He was president of the

Civil Service Reform Association The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is a United States federal law passed by the 47th United States Congress and signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur on January 16, 1883. The act mandates that most positions within the federal gover ...

from 1895 to 1907. He was treasurer of the Associated Charities from 1903 to 1934, and was president of the District government's Board of Charities. He was a delegate to the Pan-American Financial Congress in 1914.

Personal life

Edson was married to Elizabeth Berthrong and had three children: Elizabeth Edson, John Joy Edson Jr. (1871–1921) and another son that died in infancy. In 1928, he was hit by a car crossing F Street in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He died on July 15, 1935, at his home in Washington, D.C. He was interred at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edson, John Joy American Geographical Society 1846 births 1935 deaths People from Jefferson, Ohio Grand Army of the Republic officials Burials at Arlington National Cemetery