Louis Kroh Liggett (April 4, 1875 – June 5, 1946) was an American drug store magnate who founded L.K. Liggett Drug Company and then
Rexall
Rexall was a chain of American drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1903, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug stores across t ...
. He was later chairman of
United Drug Company. He was a member of the
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
for
.
Biography
He was born in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
on April 4, 1875. His parents were John Templeton Liggett and Julia A. Kroh.
In 1936 he toured America and parts of Canada with the
Rexall Train to promote Rexall stores and products. In 1937 Louis Liggett moved to 170 Ivy Street, in
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States, and part of the Boston metropolitan area. Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Allston, Fenway–Kenmore, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, and West ...
.
He died on June 5, 1946, in
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States, and part of the Boston metropolitan area. Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Allston, Fenway–Kenmore, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, and West ...
. He was entombed in the Liggett Mausoleum in Newton Cemetery in Newton.
Estate in Chestnut Hill Newton
From 1916 to 1937, Louis Liggett owned and occupied a estate at 185 Hammond Street in the village of
Chestnut Hill in
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of N ...
. The main house, built in 1895, was modeled on
Gwydr Hall in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2 ...
. Musa Liggett died in 1931. The estate was donated in 1937 to Cardinal
William Henry O'Connell
William Henry O'Connell (December 8, 1859 – April 22, 1944) was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1907 until his death in 1944, and was made a cardinal in 1911.
Early life
William O'Connell ...
, Archbishop of Boston, who in 1941 donated it to
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, which used it to create its Upper Campus. The main house is now known as
O'Connell House' and is the center of the Upper Campus. On April 22–23, 1938, the furniture and other property of the late Musa Bence Liggett were sold at auction by Louis K. Liggett's order at American Art Association-Anderson Galleries in New York City.
Personal life
On June 26, 1895, Liggett married Musa Bence. She was born in Michigan on March 19, 1873 to Lavinia and George W. Bence. Liggett and Bence had three children. Musa died on September 7, 1931 in
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...
.
References
Resources
* ''The Rexall Story: A History of Genius and Neglect'' by Mickey C. Smith
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liggett, Louis K.
1875 births
1946 deaths
People from Brookline, Massachusetts
American businesspeople in retailing
People from Newton, Massachusetts
Republican National Committee members