The Mellon family is a wealthy and influential

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

family from

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. The family includes

Andrew Mellon Andrew William Mellon (; March 24, 1855 – August 26, 1937), sometimes A. W. Mellon, was an American banker, businessman, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector, and politician. From the wealthy Mellon family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylv ...

, one of the longest-serving U.S. Treasury Secretaries, along with prominent members in the judicial, banking, financial, business, and political professions, as well as a famous recluse,

Cordelia Scaife May Cordelia Scaife May (September 24, 1928 – January 26, 2005) was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-area political donor and philanthropist. An heiress to the Mellon-Scaife family fortune, she was one of the wealthiest women in the United States. Her ...

History

The American branch of the Mellon family traces its origins to County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. In 1816, Archibald Mellon emigrated from Northern Ireland to the United States and set up residence in

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Westmoreland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 364,663. The county seat is Greensburg. Formed from, successively, Lancaster, Northumberland, and later Bedford co ...

. Two years later, Archibald was joined by his son, Andrew, and his family. The family's wealth originated with Mellon Bank, founded in 1869 by Archibald's grandson. Thomas Mellon. Under the direction of Thomas's son, Andrew William Mellon, the Mellons became principal investors and majority owners of

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies. Prior to its merger ...

(which merged with

Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...

in 1985),

Alcoa Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primar ...

(since 1886), '' The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' (since 1970),

Koppers Koppers is a global chemical and materials company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States in an art-deco 1920s skyscraper, the Koppers Tower. Structure Koppers is an integrated global producer of carbon compounds, chemicals, and tre ...

(since 1912), New York Shipbuilding (1899–1968) and Carborundum Corporation, as well as their major financial and ownership influence on Westinghouse,

H. J. Heinz Henry John Heinz (October 11, 1844 – May 14, 1919) was an American entrepreneur of Palatine descent who, at the age of 25, co-founded a small horseradish concern in Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania. This business failed, but his second business ...

, ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'', U.S. Steel,

Credit Suisse First Boston Credit Suisse First Boston (also known as CSFB and CS First Boston) is the investment banking affiliate of Credit Suisse headquartered in New York. The company was created by the merger of First Boston Corporation and Credit Suisse Group in 1988 ...

and

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

. The family bank would go on to merge with the Bank of New York to become

BNY Mellon 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 Finan ...

The family also founded the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of ch ...

in Washington, D.C., donating both art works and funds, and is a patron to the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

, the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...

, and with art the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, and its Mellon College of Science, is named in honor of the family, as well as for its founder,

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 in ...

, who was a close associate of the Mellons. The family's founding patriarch was Judge Thomas Mellon (1813–1908), the son of Andrew Mellon and Rebecca Wauchob, who were Scotch-Irish farmers from Camp Hill Cottage, in Lower Castletown,

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retai ...

, Ireland, and emigrated to what is now the Pittsburgh suburb of north-central

. The family can be divided into four branches: the descendants of Thomas Alexander Mellon Jr, of James Ross Mellon, of Andrew William Mellon, and of Richard Beatty Mellon. The Mellon family are members of the Episcopal Church.

Prominent members

* Thomas Mellon (1813–1908), judge and founder of the Mellon Bank; married Sarah Jane Negley of Pittsburgh. As a boy he decided to abandon his parents' farming lifestyle for law and banking in the city after reading

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading int ...

's autobiography. * Andrew William Mellon (1855–1937), banker, one of the longest-serving U.S. Treasury secretaries in history; namesake of the Andrew Mellon Building and

Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium The Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium (originally named the Departmental Auditorium) is a 750-seat historic Neoclassical auditorium located at 1301 Constitution Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The auditorium, which connects two wings of the William Jeffe ...

, both in Washington, D.C. * Richard Beatty Mellon (1858–1933), banker, industrialist and philanthropist; married Jennie Taylor King * William Larimer Mellon, Sr. (1868–1949), a founder of the Gulf Oil Corporation *

Richard King Mellon Richard King Mellon (June 19, 1899 – June 3, 1970), commonly known as R.K., was an American financier, general, and philanthropist from Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and part of the Mellon family. Biography The son of Richard B. Mellon, nephew of ...

(1899–1970), financier, general, and philanthropist; married Constance Prosser McCaulley *

Sarah Mellon Sarah Cordelia Mellon Scaife (December 10, 1903 – December 28, 1965) was an American heiress and Republican Party donor. Early life Sarah was born on December 10, 1903. She was the daughter of Jennie Taylor Mellon (1870–1938; née King) ...

(1903–1965), heiress of investments in Mellon Bank,

and

; her husband was Alan Magee Scaife * William Larimer Mellon, Jr. (1910–1989), founder of the

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti The Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti is a hospital in Deschapelles, Haiti. It was established in 1956 by Larry Mellon, who was inspired by Hôpital Albert Schweitzer and the life and philosophy of Albert Schweitzer. History In 1947, Larry Mel ...

(1928–2005), famous recluse and funder of multiple anti-immigration organizations * Richard Mellon Scaife (1932–2014), the chief sponsor of the

Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the preside ...

and publisher of the ''

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'', also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Although it transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, it rema ...

'' since 1970; first marriage was to Frances L. Gilmore (born December 2, 1934), second marriage was to Margaret "Ritchie" Battle (1947–2005) *

Timothy Mellon Timothy Mellon (born July 22, 1942) is an American businessman, and the chairman and majority owner of Pan Am Systems, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based transportation holding company. He is a grandson of Andrew W. Mellon and an heir to the Mell ...

(b. 1942), chairman and majority owner of Pan Am Systems, a transportation holding company based in

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsm ...

* James Ross ("Jay") Mellon II (b. 1942), author of books about

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

, slavery in America, and his family's founding patriarch, Thomas Mellon; he travels permanently in order to legally minimize taxes *

Christopher Mellon Christopher Karl Mellon (born October 2, 1957), is a private equity investor, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations and later for Security and Information Operations. He f ...

(b. 1958), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Clinton and Bush Administrations; former minority staff director of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, adjunct professor at Georgetown University; private equity investor; and former National Security Affairs Advisor at To the Stars Academy * Matthew Taylor Mellon II (1964–2018), a chairman of the Republican Party Finance of New York and served as a regent director of finance for the Republican National Committee; founded or participated in multiple start-ups such as Jimmy Choo, Harrys of London, Hanley Mellon, Marquis Jets, Arrival Aviation and Challenge Capital Partners *

Mike Monroney Almer Stillwell "Mike" Monroney (March 2, 1902February 13, 1980) was an American politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Oklahoma from 1951 to 1969, and previously as the United States House of Representatives, ...

(1902–1980), United States Senator from Oklahoma who wrote and sponsored legislation such as the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and the

Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958 The Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1231–1233, was passed in June 1958 by Congress and took effect in January 1959. It was sponsored by Oklahoma Senator Almer Stillwell "Mike" Monroney, after whom the resulting "Mo ...

, the latter of which made him the namesake of the Monroney sticker; married to Mary Ellen Mellon of the Mellon family

Members

* Thomas Mellon (1813–1908) ∞ 1843: Sarah Jane Negley (1817–1909) **Thomas Alexander Mellon, Jr., (1844–1899) ∞ Mary C. Caldwell (1847–1902), the sister of Alexander Caldwell ***Thomas Alexander Mellon, III (1873–1948) ∞ Helen McLanahan Wightman (1871–1961) ****Edward Purcell Mellon, II ∞ Louise Grubbs *****Thomas Alexander Mellon, IV ****Helen S. Mellon (1914–2007) ∞ 1936: Adolph William Schmidt (1904–2000) *****Helen Schmidt ∞ unk. Claire *****Thomas Mellon Schmidt (b. 1940) *** Edward Purcell Mellon (1875–1953) ∞ Ethel Churchill Humphrey (1880–1938) ****Jane Caldwell Mellon (1917–2013) ∞ (1) Craigh Leonard ∞ (2) Robinson Simonds (1906–2000) *****Edward M. Leonard *****Craigh Leonard, Jr. *****Stephanie Leonard ***Mary Caldwell Mellon (1884–1975) ∞ (1) John Herman Kampmann (1880–1957) ∞ (2) Samuel Alfred McClung (1880–1945) ****John Herman Kampmann, Jr. (1907–1940) ****Mary Mellon Kampmann (1908–1995) ∞ Lawrence Deen Schwartz (1909–1957) ****Samuel Alfred McClung, III (1918–2015) ∞ Adelaide "Adie" Smith (1919–2000) ****Isabel Edith McClung (1920–1967) ∞ Charles Laban Abernethy, Jr. (1913–1990), the son of

Charles Laban Abernethy Charles Laban Abernethy (March 18, 1872 – February 23, 1955) was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1922 and 1935. Born in Rutherford College, North Carolina, Abernethy attended local public schools in Rutherford Col ...

****Cynthia Mellon McClung (1921–1991) ∞ Stephen Stone, Jr. (1915–1962) **James Ross Mellon (1846–1934) ∞ Rachel Hughey Larimer (1847–1919), the daughter of

William Larimer William Larimer Jr. (October 24, 1809 – May 16, 1875) was a Kansas state senator, American settler, and land developer who is best known as the founder of Denver, Colorado, in 1858. Larimer often went by "General Larimer", having acquired the ...

*** William Larimer Mellon (1868–1949) ∞ Mary Hill Taylor ****Matthew Taylor Mellon (1897–1992) ∞ (1) 1931: (div.) Gertrud Altegoer (1909–2005) ∞ (2) Jane Bartrum *****Karl Negley Mellon (1938–1983) ∞ Anne Stokes Bright ******

(b. 1958) *******Hunter Mellon (b. 2001) *******Aiden Mellon (b. 2004) ****** Matthew Taylor Mellon, II (1964–2018) ∞ (1) 2000: (div. 2005) Tamara Yeardye (b. 1967) ∞ (2) Nicole Hanley *******Araminta Mellon (b. 2002) *******Force Mellon (b. 2011) *******Olympia Mellon (b. 2013) *****James Ross Mellon, II (b. 1942) ∞ Vivian Ruesch, the daughter of

Hans Ruesch : ''This is about the racing driver, for the Norwegian geologist with a similarly spelled name go to Hans Reusch'' Hans Ruesch (17 May 1913 – 27 August 2007) was a Swiss racing driver, a novelist, and an internationally prominent activist again ...

**** Rachel Larimer Mellon (1899–2006) ∞ John Fawcett Walton, Jr. (1893–1974) ***** Farley Walton ∞ Joshua Clyde Whetzel, Jr. (1921–2012) ******Joshua Clyde Whetzel, III ∞ Marion Plunkett ******Rachel Walton Whetzel ∞ Richard Casselman ******Thomas Porter Whetzel ******William Mellon Whetzel ∞ (1) 1978: (div.) Patricia Joan McGarey ∞ (2) Camilla F. *****Mary Walton ∞ Walter J. P. Curley, Jr. *****John Fawcett Walton, III ∞ Phyllis Walton *****James Mellon Walton (1930–2022) ∞ Ellen Carroll ******James Mellon Walton, Jr. ∞ Elizabeth Andrews Orr ****Margaret Lederle Mellon (1901–1998) ∞ (1) 1924: Alexander Laughlin (d. 1926) ∞ (2) 1928: Thomas Hitchcock, Jr. (1900–1944) *****Alexander Mellon Laughlin (b. 1925) *****Louise Eustis Hitchcock *****Margaret Mellon Hitchcock *****Thomas Hitchcock, III *****William Mellon Hitchcock **** William Larimer Mellon, Jr. (1910–1989) ∞ (1) 1930: (div. 1938) Grace Rowley ∞ (2) 1946: Gwen Grant Mellon (née Rawson; 1911–2000), former wife of John de Groot Rawson *****William Larimer Mellon, III (1933–1963) ∞ Katherine LeGrand Council ***Sarah Lucille Mellon (1887–1968) ∞ (1) Alexander Grange ∞ (2) George S. Hasbrouck ∞ (3) Sidney J. Holloway **Sarah Emma Mellon, who died in childhood **Annie Rebecca Mellon, who died in childhood **Samuel Selwyn Mellon, who died 1862, at age 9 ** Andrew William Mellon (1855–1937) ∞ 1900: (div. 1912) Nora Mary McMullen (1879–1973) ***

Ailsa Mellon Bruce Ailsa Mellon Bruce (June 28, 1901 – August 25, 1969) was a prominent American socialite and philanthropist who established the Avalon Foundation. Early life Ailsa was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 28, 1901. She was the daughter of t ...

(1901–1969) ∞ 1926: (div. 1945) David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce (1898–1977) ****Audrey Mellon Bruce (1934–1967) ∞ 1955: Stephen Currier (d. 1967), son of Mary Warburg *****Andrea Bruce Currier (b. 1956) ∞ 1980: Donald Wright Patterson, Jr. (1939) ******Justin Bruce Patterson ∞ 2013: Anna Elizabeth Burke *****Lavinia Currier ∞ Joel McCleary *****Michael Stephen Currier (1961–1998) ∞ Karin Griscom ***

Paul Mellon Paul Mellon (June 11, 1907 – February 1, 1999) was an American philanthropist and an owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall ...

(1907–1999) ∞ (1) 1935: Mary Conover Brown (1904–1946) ∞ (2) 1948:

Rachel Lambert Mellon Rachel Lambert Mellon (August 9, 1910 – March 17, 2014), often known as Bunny Mellon, was an American horticulturalist, gardener, philanthropist, and art collector. She designed and planted a number of significant gardens, including the Wh ...

(1910–2014), former wife of

Stacy Barcroft Lloyd Jr Stacy Barcroft Lloyd Jr. (July 8, 1908 – December 6, 1994) was a businessman, horse breeder, dairy cattle farmer and yachtsman. He was the founder of the equestrian journal '' The Chronicle of the Horse''. and a renowned tandem carriage driver. ...

****

(b. 1943) ****Catherine Conover Mellon ∞ 1957: (div. 1973) John W. Warner III (1927-2021) *****Virginia Warner *****John William Warner, IV (b. 1962) ∞ Shannon Ford Hamm (b. 1965) *****Mary Warner ** Richard Beatty Mellon (1858–1933) ∞ Jennie King (d. 1938) ***

(1899–1970) ∞ 1936: Constance Mary ( Prosser) McCaulley (later Burrell; 1910-1980) ****Richard Prosser Mellon (1939–2020) ∞ (1) Gertrude Adams (1939–2003) (2) Kathryn Dybdal *****Richard Adams Mellon ∞ Alex Mellon *****Armour Negley Mellon ∞ Sophie Mellon ****Cassandra King Mellon (b. 1940) ∞ (1) George M. Henderson ∞ (2) 1979: Edwin Van Rensselaer Milbury *****Christina Mellon Henderson ∞ 1996: Scott Robert McBroom *****Bruce King Mellon Henderson ****Constance Barber Mellon (1941–1983) ∞ William Russell Grace Byers (d. 1999) (brother in law of Joseph Verner Reed Jr.) ∞ (2) 1971: (div. 1973) J. Carter Brown (1934–2002) *****William Russell Grace Byers, Jr. (b. 1965) *****Alison Mellon Byers (b. 1967) ****Seward Prosser Mellon (b. 1942) *** Sarah Cordelia Mellon (1903–1965) ∞ Alan Magee Scaife (1900–1958) ****

(1928–2005) ∞ (1) 1949: (div. 1950) (1) Herbert A. May, Jr. ∞ (2) 1973: Robert Duggan (1926/7–1974) **** Richard Mellon Scaife (1932–2014) ∞ (1) 1956: (div. 1991) Frances L. Gilmore (b. 1934) ∞ (2) 1991: (div. 2012) Margaret "Ritchie" Battle (b. 1947) *****Jennie K. Scaife (1963–2018) ******Mary M. Ferri (b.1915) *****David N. Scaife (b. 1966) **George Negley Mellon (1860–1887)

References

External links

* {{Banking families American families of Scotch-Irish ancestry Episcopalian families