Theodore Francis Whitmarsh (November 6, 1869 – May 12, 1936) was an American businessman and politician. Whitmarsh was active across several industries, including grocery, finance, and manufacturing. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and in its immediate aftermath, Whitmarsh held a variety of posts in the U.S. federal government, most notably as the acting administrator of the
United States Food Administration
The United States Food Administration (1917–1920) was an independent Federal agency that controlled the production, distribution and conservation of food in the U.S. during the nation's participation in World War I. It was established to preve ...
, member of the
War Industries Board
The War Industries Board (WIB) was a United States government agency established on July 28, 1917, during World War I, to coordinate the purchase of war supplies between the War Department (Department of the Army) and the Navy Department. Because ...
, and joint director of the
American Relief Administration
American Relief Administration (ARA) was an American relief mission to Europe and later post-revolutionary Russia after World War I. Herbert Hoover, future president of the United States, was the program director.
The ARA's immediate predeces ...
. Whitmarsh was later elected as a director of the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. It is responsible for the Second District of the Federal Reserve System, which encompasses the State of New York, the 12 northern counties of New ...
, serving eight years in the role.
Early life and family
Whitmarsh was born in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
on November 6, 1869, to Caroline H. (née Leggett) and Henry C. Whitmarsh.
He was educated in public schools.
In 1893, Whitmarsh married Lillian Ainslie Smith. They had three children.
Career
Private sector
In 1886, Whitmarsh began working for his uncle Francis Howard Leggett (1840–1909), who was a prominent wholesale grocer and the owner of ''Francis H. Leggett & Co.
'' In 1896, he became a member of the firm. In 1902, he became the vice president and treasurer of the firm. After the death of his uncle in 1909, Whitmarsh assumed control of the business as president.
Whitmarsh remained as chairman of the board of the company for the rest of his life.
Other business holdings of Whitmarsh included serving as president and treasurer of the Seacoast Canning Company and as treasurer of the
American Can Company
The American Can Company was a manufacturer of tin cans. It was a member of the Tin Can Trust, that controlled a "large percentage of business in the United States in tin cans, containers, and packages of tin." American Can Company ranked 97th amon ...
. Whitmarsh was the member of corporate boards including the
Irving National Bank, Irving Trust Company,
Famous Players–Lasky
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and t ...
,
Greenwich Savings Bank
The Greenwich Savings Bank was an American savings bank based in New York City that operated from 1833 to 1981. At the time of its closure in 1981, it was the 16th largest bank in the U.S. by total deposits.
History
The Greenwich Savings Bank wa ...
, Audley Clarke Company, Straclar Holding Corporation,
New York Mercantile Exchange
The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) is a commodity futures exchange owned and operated by CME Group of Chicago. NYMEX is located at One North End Avenue in Brookfield Place in the Battery Park City section of Manhattan, New York City.
...
, and the
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging ...
.
From 1915 to 1918, Whitmarsh was the president of the National Wholesale Grocers Association of the United States. Whitmarsh was also the chairman and a longtime fundraiser for the
United Hospital Fund
The United Hospital Fund of New York (UHF) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on improving health care in New York. It conducts health policy research and supports numerous health care initiatives through fundraising, grantmaking, and collabo ...
, raising $300,000 dollars for the organization in 1929 and over $500,000 dollars in 1932. Whitmarsh was also a close acquaintance of
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intro ...
, and drew up a trust fund for handling the administration and proceeds from his book sales.
Public service
A
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, Whitmarsh was active in New York politics. In June 1917, Whitmarsh was appointed as the chief of the Distribution Division of the newly formed United States Food Administration.
In the role, he served as special assistant to
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
, who was then serving as the director of the agency. While in the role, Whitmarsh was a member of the
War Industries Board
The War Industries Board (WIB) was a United States government agency established on July 28, 1917, during World War I, to coordinate the purchase of war supplies between the War Department (Department of the Army) and the Navy Department. Because ...
, the Priorities Committee, the Requirements Committee, and the Belgian Relief Committee.
He was also the vice president, treasurer, and a board member of the U.S.
Sugar Equalization Board
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double s ...
. In 1917, Whitmarsh was described as the person who is "seeing that the whole country gets a square deal on passing around the food."
After Hoover departed for Europe in November 1918, Whitmarsh served as acting chairman of the Committee for European Food Relief, and as acting chairman of the United States Food Administration's executive committee. President
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
appointed Whitmarsh as acting administrator of the agency in Hoover's absence.
In 1919, Whitmarsh served as U.S. joint director of the American Relief Administration. That summer, Whitmarsh spent two months in Europe working on post-war food provision issues. In 1923, Whitmarsh was elected as a Class B director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Whitmarsh served in the role from 1924 until 1932.
Awards and honors
In 1918,
King Albert I
Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934.
Born in Brussels as the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-S ...
of Belgium awarded Whitmarsh as an Officer of the
Order of the Crown for his work in Europe. In 1933, Whitmarsh was a dinner guest of President Hoover at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
.
Death
Whitmarsh died of pneumonia at New York Hospital on May 12, 1936, aged 66.
His funeral at
Saint Thomas Church was attended by 1,500 people.
Whitmarsh's honorary pallbearers included
George L. Harrison
George Leslie Harrison (January 26, 1887 – March 5, 1958) was an American banker, insurance executive and advisor to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson during World War II.
Early life and education
Harrison was born in San Francisco, California o ...
,
Gates W. McGarrah,
Walter C. Teagle
Walter Clark Teagle (May 1, 1878 – January 9, 1962) was president of Standard Oil Company of New Jersey from 1917 to 1937 and was chairman of the board from 1937 to 1942. He was responsible for leading Standard Oil to the forefront of the oil ...
, and
Owen D. Young
Owen D. Young (October 27, 1874July 11, 1962) was an American industrialist, businessman, lawyer and diplomat at the Second Reparations Conference (SRC) in 1929, as a member of the German Reparations International Commission.
He is known for t ...
. He is interred at
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York, is the final resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent burying ground at the Old Dutch C ...
in Westchester County, New York.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitmarsh, Theodore
1869 births
1936 deaths
American grocers
American bankers
American philanthropists
Philanthropists from New York (state)
People from Brooklyn
Burials at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Businesspeople from New York (state)
Businesspeople from New York City
Belgian relief in World War I
Deaths from pneumonia in New York City