James Henry Roosevelt (November 10, 1800 – November 30, 1863) was an American philanthropist who, by bequest, founded

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 f ...

in New York City.

Early life

Roosevelt was born on November 10, 1800 in New York City on Warren Street near

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. He was the son of Catherine ( née Byvanck) (d. 1854) and James Christopher Roosevelt (1770–1840). A member of the Roosevelt family, his paternal grandfather was Christopher Roosevelt (b. 1739), the brother of Isaac Roosevelt, 2nd President of the

Bank of New York The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, commonly known as BNY Mellon, is an American investment banking services holding company headquartered in New York City. BNY Mellon was formed from the merger of The Bank of New York and the Mellon Fina ...

. He was a third cousin of President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

's grandfather and second cousin of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's grandfather.

Education and life

Roosevelt graduated from Columbia College in 1819 and studied law at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, but was unable to practice due to delicate health, possibly resulting from polio. Confined largely to his home he was forced to abandon law and break off his engagement to Miss Julia Boardman, who was also from a good New York family. He lived off of a modest inheritance and expanded it through prudent investments and simple living. Roosevelt died on November 30, 1863 in New York City. He was first buried at the

New York City Marble Cemetery The New York City Marble Cemetery is a historic cemetery founded in 1831, and located at 52-74 East 2nd Street between First and Second Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The cemetery has 258 undergroun ...

, and later, his remains were moved to the Roosevelt Hospital grounds in 1876. His body was again moved in 1994 and re-interred at the Marble Cemetery.

Legacy

His will left most of his estate, including property worth nearly $1 million, to found

, which was opened on November 2, 1871. Under the terms of his will, the hospital was to be a voluntary hospital that cared for individuals regardless of their ability to pay. On the tablet that is placed to his memory in Roosevelt Hospital is inscribed: "To the memory of James Henry Roosevelt, a true son of New York, the generous founder of this hospital, a man upright in his aims, simple in his life, and sublime in his benefaction."

References

;Notes ;Sources *

External links

*
James H. Roosevelt Financial Records
at the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roosevelt, James Henry 1800 births 1863 deaths James Henry Roosevelt American people of Dutch descent American philanthropists Burials at New York City Marble Cemetery Columbia College (New York) alumni Harvard Law School alumni