Samuel Hay Kaufmann (April 30, 1829 – March 15, 1906) was an American

newspaper publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

who was the former owner of the ''

Washington Star ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the Washington ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday Star ...

''. He also served as president of the

Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Overview The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...

and is credited with helping to expand both the Corcoran and the Smithsonian.

Life

Kauffmann was born in

Wayne County, Ohio Wayne County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 116,894. Its county seat is Wooster. The county is named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. Wayne County comprises the Wooster, OH Micropolitan St ...

and began working as a telegraph operator in

Wooster, Ohio Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at t ...

. In 1854 he became the publisher of a newspaper in

Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 census, down from 25,487 as of the 2010 census. Historically the state capita ...

, continuing that until he moved to

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, Na ...

in 1861. In Washington, he was a bank director and worked in insurance. He was on the Board of Trade. Starting in 1891, Kauffman served as president of the

. Kauffman is credited with helping to expand both the Corcoran and the Smithsonian. During his tenure he became a patron of painter Max Weyl, supporting the painters career and helping to bring Weyl's work to the forefront of Washington's art community. Kauffmann died at his home in Washington, D.C. on March 15, 1906. He was buried at

Rock Creek Cemetery Rock Creek Cemetery is an cemetery with a natural and rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE, in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. It is across the stree ...

. The Kauffmann Memorial was built in his honor by

William Ordway Partridge William Ordway Partridge (April 11, 1861 – May 22, 1930) was an American sculptor, teacher and author. Among his best-known works are the Shakespeare Monument in Chicago, the equestrian statue of General Grant in Brooklyn, the ''Pietà'' at S ...

in Rock Creek Cemetery.

References

1829 births 1906 deaths American newspaper publishers (people) People from Washington, D.C. 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery {{publish-stub