William Leigh Keyser (November 23, 1835 – June 3, 1904)
was an executive of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...
(B&O) and the
Baltimore Copper Company.
Early life
Keyser was born in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
on November 23, 1835, the son of Samuel Stouffer Keyser and Elizabeth (
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 ...
Wyman) Keyser.
He was educated at various private schools in Baltimore, and entered St. Timothy's Academy in
Catonsville, Maryland
Catonsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census. The community lies to the west of Baltimore along the city's border. Catonsville contains the majority of th ...
in 1846. He and his twin brother, Samuel, remained there until 1850, when their father's declining health and weakening financial situation made it necessary for the boys to leave school. Samuel eventually moved to New York City to make his way in business there, while William stayed in Baltimore to manage his father's warehouses.
Career
In 1857, William formed a partnership with his other brother, Irvine Keyser under the name "Keyser Brothers". He was active in the firm, as well as the Abbott Iron Co. and the Baltimore Copper Company, throughout the 1860s.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
In 1870, William Keyser became involved with the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...
, taking a position as second vice-president during the term of its president,
John Work Garrett
John Work Garrett (July 31, 1820 – September 26, 1884), was an American merchant turned banker who became president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) in 1858 and led the railroad for nearly three decades. The B&O became one of the most ...
. The town of
Keyser, West Virginia
Keyser () is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,853 at the 2020 census.
History
Keyser, the county seat of Mineral County, is ...
was named for him. While at the B&O, he was instrumental in labor negotiations during the 1871 and
1877 railroad workers strikes. In 1881, Keyser left the B&O. His action was precipitated by Garrett's decision to promote his son, Robert Garrett, over Keyser.
Baltimore Copper Company
Keyser next ventured into copper manufacturing. In 1882, the court appointed him to oversee the financial affairs of Pope and Cole, a local copper processor. The company had declared bankruptcy, and Keyser, as one of their largest creditors, had a vested interest in seeing them regain solvency. His association with Pope and Cole piqued his interest in the copper industry. He eventually reestablished Pope & Cole as the Baltimore Copper Company and purchased the Baltimore Smelting and Rolling Company. His entry into copper production allowed him to amass a fortune larger than if he had stayed with the railroad.
Philanthropy
Keyser put his money to many philanthropic uses. He donated funds for a hall at Hannah More Academy in Reisterstown,
and was instrumental in the founding of
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
's
Homewood campus The Homewood Campus is the main academic and administrative center of the Johns Hopkins University. It is located at 3400 North Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland. It houses the two major undergraduate schools: the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts a ...
. In November 1894,
Daniel Coit Gilman
Daniel Coit Gilman (; July 6, 1831 – October 13, 1908) was an American educator and academic. Gilman was instrumental in founding the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale College, and subsequently served as the second president of the University ...
, the university's first president, asked Keyser for his help in securing another site for the school, which was outgrowing its location in downtown Baltimore.
In early 1901, Keyser and his brother Samuel offered 179 acres to the university with the condition that "at least 30 acres of the property be given to the city for use as a public park", which then became
Wyman Park
The community of Wyman Park is a border community that links Hampden to Roland Park. All of the Wyman Park areas were annexed to Baltimore City in 1888. The general boundaries consist of the area from south to north between 33rd Street and 40th St ...
. Material in the Keyser-Wyman Papers recounts his association with his cousin, William Wyman, who donated a large portion on the land, and their efforts on behalf of the university.
Before his death in June, 1904, Keyser was appointed a member of the Citizens' Emergency Committee which was charged with developing a plan for rebuilding the downtown after the calamitous
Baltimore fire of February 1904. The Committee prepared street and dock improvement plans, which were adopted.
Personal life
On November 11, 1858, he married Mary Hoke "Mollie" Brent (1838–1911), daughter of the well-known Baltimore lawyer, Robert Brent.
In Baltimore, they lived in a home designed by prominent architect
T. Henry Randall
Thomas Henry Randall (July 5, 1862 – July 7, 1905) was an American architect known for his large country homes during the Gilded Age.
Early life
Randall was born on July 5, 1862, at Annapolis, Maryland. He was one of seven children born to Att ...
,
and were the parents of three children who lived to adulthood:
* Robert Brent Keyser (1859–1927), who married Ellen Cary McHenry, a daughter of James Howard McHenry (a grandson of
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
James McHenry
James McHenry (November 16, 1753 – May 3, 1816) was a Scotch-Irish American military surgeon, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland, initiated the recommend ...
). He served as Chairman of the
Board of Trustees of Johns Hopkins University from 1903 until shortly before his death in 1927.
* Mathilde Lawrence Keyser (1870–1929), who married William Maurice Manly, the widow of Frances Howell Hughes Kennedy (eldest granddaughter of
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
Anthony Kennedy
Anthony McLeod Kennedy (born July 23, 1936) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1988 until his retirement in 2018. He was nominated to the court in 1987 by Presid ...
) in 1902.
* William Keyser Jr. (1871–1936), who married Jean Hancy, a daughter of Edward Johnson Hancy.
Keyser died suddenly as a brain
aneurysm
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus (s ...
burst at his summer home, Brentwood, in Reistertown on June 3, 1904.
Within days of his death, his twin brother Samuel was "lying ill at his residence" in New York and his nephew, Henry R. Keyser (son of his brother H. Irvine Keyser) died from
meningitis
Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...
at his country home near Chatelane.
After a funeral at the Christ Protestant Episcopal Church, William was buried in the family plat at Baltimore's historic
Green Mount Cemetery
Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as many ...
. His widow died seven years later on October 29, 1911.
At the time of his death, he was reportedly the wealthiest man in Maryland.
Descendants
Through his son R. Brent, he was a grandfather of three: Juliana Brent Keyser (wife of Gaylord Lee Clark), Ellen McHenry Keyser (wife of Ambassador
James Cabell Bruce
James Cabell Bruce (December 23, 1892 – July 17, 1980) was a 20th-century American businessman and banker in New York City and Baltimore, who served as U.S. ambassador to Argentina in the 1940s.
Background
James Cabell Bruce was born on Dece ...
, son of
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
William Cabell Bruce
William Cabell Bruce (March 12, 1860May 9, 1946) was an American politician and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who represented the State of Maryland in the United States Senate from 1923 to 1929.
Background
Bruce was born in Charlotte County, V ...
and brother of
David K. E. Bruce
David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce (February 12, 1898 – December 5, 1977) was an American diplomat, intelligence officer and politician. He served as ambassador to France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United Kingdom, the only American ...
), and William McHenry Keyser.
Legacy
The city of
Keyser, West Virginia
Keyser () is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,853 at the 2020 census.
History
Keyser, the county seat of Mineral County, is ...
is named for William Keyser.
References
External links
Keyser-Wyman family papersat
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keyser, William
1835 births
1904 deaths
19th-century American railroad executives
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad people
American businesspeople in metals
Mineral County
Businesspeople from Baltimore
People from Catonsville, Maryland