Stephen Henry Olin (April 22, 1847 – August 6, 1925)
was a lawyer and the acting president of
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
and a member of New York society during the
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...
.
Early life
Olin was born on April 22, 1847, in
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...
. He was the son of
Stephen Olin
Stephen Olin (March 2, 1797 – August 15, 1851) was an American educator and minister.
Early life
Oline was born in Leicester, Vermont on March 2, 1797. He was one of ten children born to Henry Olin (1768–1837), a member of the U.S. House ...
(1797–1851) and Julia Matilda (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Lynch) Olin (1814–1879),
his father's second wife after his first marriage to Mary Bostwick.
His father, a lawyer who became an ordained minister of the
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
,
served as the first president of
Randolph Macon College, from 1834 to 1836, and later served as president of
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
from 1839 until his death in 1851.
His maternal grandfather was James Lynch. His paternal grandparents were
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from Vermont
Henry Olin
Henry Olin (May 7, 1768August 18, 1837) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a United States representative from Vermont and eighth lieutenant governor of Vermont.
Biography
Olin was born in Shaftsbury in the New Hampshire Gran ...
,
and Lois Richardson Olin. His grandfather was the nephew of
Gideon Olin
Gideon Olin (November 2, 1743January 21, 1823) was an American politician. He served as a United States representative from Vermont.
Biography
Olin was born in East Greenwich in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to John and ...
and a cousin of
Abram B. Olin
Abram Baldwin Olin (September 21, 1808 – July 7, 1879) was a United States representative from New York (state), New York and an United States federal judge, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.
Early life
Olin wa ...
, both of whom also served as members of the House of Representatives from Vermont.
Olin graduated from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
in 1866 and received the honorary
LL.D.
Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...
from the University in 1894.
Career
![Wesleyan University - Olin Library - Stephen Henry Olin bust 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Wesleyan_University_-_Olin_Library_-_Stephen_Henry_Olin_bust_01.jpg)
Two years after graduating from Wesleyan, he began the practice of law in New York City, with the firms of Olin, Rives & Montgomery; Olin & Rives; and Olin, Clark & Phelps. He focused his practice on
copyright law
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
representing many of the eminent publishing companies in the United States.
For thirty years, Olin was a trustee of the
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
, and before that, was a trustee of the
Astor Library
The Astor Library was a free public library in the East Village, Manhattan, developed primarily through the collaboration of New York City merchant John Jacob Astor and New England educator and bibliographer Joseph Cogswell. It was primarily me ...
. He served as president of the
University Settlement Society, vice president of the
New York City Bar Association
The New York City Bar Association (City Bar), founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students. Since 1896, the organization, formally known as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, has been headquartered in a ...
, and was a member of the
New York National Guard
The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs (NYS DMNA) is responsible for the state's New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, New York Guard and the New York Naval Militia. It is headed by Adjutant General of New ...
, retiring in 1903 with the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
and
chief of staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
.
Wesleyan University
From 1922 to 1923, following the leave of absence, and eventual death, of president
William A. Shanklin, Olin was asked and dutifully served as acting president of his alma mater, Wesleyan University,
where his father had served as the second president and where he was a longtime trustee.
In 1925, while in ill health, he traveled to
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...
, to witness the installation of President Dr.
James L. McConaughy,
who later served as
Lt. Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...
and
Governor of Connecticut
The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticu ...
after he was president of the University.
Following his death, the University paid tribute to Olin with a memorial service at the college chapel presided by the president of the board of trustees.
Society life
In 1892, Olin was included in
Ward McAllister
Samuel Ward McAllister (December 28, 1827 – January 31, 1895) was a popular arbiter of social taste in the Gilded Age of late 19th-century America. He was widely accepted as the authority as to which families could be classified as the cream o ...
's "
Four Hundred
400 (four hundred) is the natural number following 399 and preceding 401.
Mathematical properties
400 is the square of 20. 400 is the sum of the powers of 7 from 0 to 3, thus making it a repdigit in base 7 (1111).
A circle is divided into ...
", purported to be an index of New York's best families, published in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''.
Conveniently, 400 was the number of people that could fit into
Mrs. Astor
Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn Astor (September 22, 1830 – October 30, 1908) was a prominent American socialite of the second half of the 19th century who led the The Four Hundred (1892), Four Hundred. Famous for being referred to later ...
's ballroom.
Olin was one of the founders of the
Players Club, a member of the
Society of Colonial Wars
The Society of Colonial Wars is a hereditary society composed of men who trace their descents from forebears who, in military, naval, or civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, defense, ...
, the
Century Club, the
University Club, the
City Club, and the
Downtown Club
The Downtown Athletic Club, also known as the Downtown Club, was a private social and athletic club that operated from 1926 to 2002 at 20 West Street, within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The Downtown Athletic Clu ...
.
"Glenburn"
Glenburn was the Olin estate about three miles south of the village of
Rhinebeck, New York. It was originally part of the Beekman patent.
[''Historical and Genealogical Record Dutchess and Putnam Counties New York'', Press of the A. V. Haight Co., Poughkeepsie, New York, 1912]
/ref>
In 1742 Judge Robert R. Livinston of Clermont, married Margaret, the only surviving child and heiress of Col. Henry Beekman of Rhinebeck. Their daughter Margaret (1749-1823) married Dr. Thomas Tillotson
Thomas Tillotson (May 5, 1832) was an American physician and politician.
Life
Born in the Province of Maryland around 1751 or 1752, Tillotson received a thorough education, studied medicine, and practiced. He was the great great nephew of the A ...
of Maryland on February 22, 1779. Between 1788 and 1790 he established a country place and called it "Linwood." Tillotson also obtained another part of the Beekman lands, twenty-nine acres of woodland lying east of Fallsburgh Creek, which passes through two beautiful waterfalls before reaching the Hudson River.[
Tillotson's daughter Janette married Judge James Lynch. In 1830, Dr. Tillotson gave as a present to his twelve-year old granddaughter, Julia Lynch, the wooded gorge containing the waterfalls of Fallsburgh Creek. She called the place "Glenburn" and, when a new cottage had been built, it became her summer home and that of her parents. Julia Lynch was married to Rev. Stephen Olin at "Glenburn," in 1843, and returned there after her husband's death in 1851. At Mrs. Olin's death, in 1889, "Glenburn" descended to her son, Stephen Henry.][
At one time the neighborhood had a post office of its own—the Glenburn post office, but this ceased when rural delivery service was established in Rhinebeck.
]
Personal life
Olin married Alice Wadsworth Barlow (1853–1882), daughter of Samuel Latham Mitchill Barlow and Alice Cornell Townsend. Alice's brother was the lawyer and jurist Peter Townsend Barlow. Together, they were the parents of:
* Alice Townsend Olin (1881–1963), who married Tracy Dows (1871–1937) in 1903.
* Julia Lynch Olin (1882–1961), who married J. Philip Benkard in 1902. They divorced in 1920 and she married Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler
Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler (September 24, 1869 in Newport, Rhode Island – February 28, 1942 in New York City) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1907 to 1908.
Early life
He was the fifth ...
, the former Lt. Gov. of New York in 1921.
After his wife's death in 1882 at the age of 29, he remarried to Emeline Harriman (1860–1938), the widow of William Earl Dodge III, in 1903. Emeline was the daughter of Oliver Harriman
Oliver Harriman (September 16, 1829 – March 12, 1904) was an American businessman and member of the wealthy Harriman family.
Early life
Oliver Harriman was born on September 16, 1829 in New York City. His parents were Orlando Harriman (1790 ...
and the sister of Anne Harriman Vanderbilt
Anne Harriman Sands Rutherfurd Vanderbilt (February 17, 1861 – April 20, 1940) was an American heiress known for her marriages to prominent men and her role in the development of the Sutton Place neighborhood as a fashionable place to live.
Ea ...
, Oliver Harriman, Jr., J. Borden Harriman
Jefferson Borden Harriman (September 20, 1864 – December 2, 1914) was a New York financier and member of the Gilded Age, Gilded Age's "hunting set". He was best known as the supportive husband of Florence Jaffray Harriman, a socialite who beca ...
, and Herbert M. Harriman
Herbert Melville Harriman (September 28, 1873 – January 3, 1933) was an American heir, businessman and sportsman.
Early life
Harriman was born on September 28, 1873, in New York City. His father, Oliver Harriman, was a dry goods merchant. ...
. Emeline had two children from her first marriage, William Earl Dodge IV, and Annie Cleveland Dodge.
Olin died at his home, 400 Park Avenue
Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenu ...
in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on August 6, 1925, and his funeral was held at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue. After his death, his widow remarried to Howland Spencer on December 15, 1931. They divorced in the Spring of 1938, and she resumed using the Olin surname until her death in August 1938.
Legacy
The Olin Library at Wesleyan University was named after Olin and his father.
References
;Notes
;Sources
External links
*
Mrs. Stephen H. Olin
c. 1918, at the New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olin, Stephen Henry
1847 births
1925 deaths
People from Middletown, Connecticut
Lawyers from New York City
Wesleyan University alumni
Presidents of Wesleyan University
19th-century American lawyers