John Reid (October 14, 1840 – October 7, 1916) was a Scottish-American businessman who has been called "The Father of Golf" in the United States.

Early life

Lyall was born on October 14, 1840 in Dunfermline,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. He was the son of Helen ( née Arnot) Reid and Andrew Reid and received his early education in Scotland.

Career

In 1866, Reid emigrated to the United States, and within a few months of his arrival, began working for

J. L. Mott Iron Works The J. L. Mott Iron Works was an American hardware dealer and manufacturer during the late 19th century. It operated in New York and was relocated to Trenton, New Jersey, where it ceased operations in the 1920s. History The J. L. Mott Iron Work ...

, which was founded by

Jordan L. Mott Jordan Lawrence Mott (1799 — 1866) was an American inventor and industrialist. He established the J. L. Mott Iron Works in New York City. His father was Jacob Mott, an alderman of New York in 1804-1810 and at one time acting mayor of the city, a ...

in 1828. Reid was eventually promoted to General Manager, which he held for thirty-nine years. He also served as a trustee of the J. L. Mott Iron Works and a director of the Central Foundry Company, the Central Iron & Coal Company and the Trenton Fire Clay & Porcelain Company. Upon Jordan L. Mott Jr.'s death in 1915, Reid served as executor of his estate. He was a member of the Engineers' Club, the Fulton Club, the Society of British Schools and Universities and the Burns Society. He was also elected a member of the

Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York The Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York is the oldest Charitable organization, charitable institution in the state of New York (state), New York and is focused on helping Scots in the New York community. History The organization was ...

, of which he served as the 38th President from 1898 to 1899, when he was succeeded by

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

as president.

Interest in golf

Around 1887, he introduced and played the " Royal Scottish Game" on an improvised course near his home and was the leader of the Apple Tree Gang. On November 14, 1888, at a dinner at his house, he founded and, served as the first president of Saint Andrew's Golf Club located in

Hastings-on-Hudson, New York Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County located in the southwestern part of the town of Greenburgh in the state of New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of midtown Manh ...

. Reid's portrait by Frank Fowler hangs in the dining room. Today, the club is the oldest golf club in the United States.

Personal life

On October 28, 1873, Reid was married to Elizabeth Eddy "Lizzie" Mudge (1854–1925) at Volcano, Virginia. Lizzie was the daughter of Daniel C. Mudge and Ellen (née Carr) Mudge. Together, they resided at 408 Palisades Avenue in Yonkers and were the parents of: * Andrew Reid (1874–1876), who died in infancy. * Ellen M. Reid (1876–1962), who married lawyer Alexander Brown Halliday in 1899. * John Reid Jr. (1878–1925), also a golfer, who helped found the Yale University Golf Club in 1896. He married Jeanette Bull. * Jean Arnot Reid (1882–1955), a painter. * Archibald M. Reid (1884–1967), who was a member of the 1902 Yale intercollegiate champion team and captain in 1904. He was a partner in Carlisle & Jacquelin, and a former president of the

United States Golf Association The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...

. After a lingering illness, Reid died on October 7, 1916 at his residence in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as en ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, John 1840 births 1916 deaths Businesspeople from New York City Presidents of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York British emigrants to the United States 19th-century American businesspeople