Wilson Perkins Foss, Jr. (circa 1881 – November 17, 1957) was an American art collector, art dealer, and businessman.
As a knowledgeable collector of Eastern art and vice-president of art dealers Parish Watson & Co. for 23 years, he helped establish collections at museums such as the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, and the
National Gallery of Art.
He also was chairman of the
New York Trap Rock Corporation (now Tilcon), the largest supplier of crushed rock for roads and construction in the state at the time.
Early life
Foss was born in
Haverstraw, New York
Haverstraw is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of the Town of Clarkstown and the Town of Ramapo; east of Orange County; south of the Town of Stony Point; and west of the Hudson River. The town runs from the w ...
.
He was the son of Anna de Baun and
Wilson Perkins Foss, the first mayor of Haverstraw and co-founder of Conklin and Foss, Inc which was a crushed rock business.
Foss Sr. rose from being an explosives expert and dynamite manufacturer to being president and board chairman of the
New York Trap Rock Corporation; he was an avid collector of pottery and the National amateur billiards champion from 1901 to 1904.
In 1908, the family moved to
Under Elms, a riverfront 21-room mansion Foss Sr. built on 37 acres in Upper
Nyack, New York
Nyack () is a village located primarily in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retains a very small western section in Clarkstown. It is a suburb of New York City lying approximately no ...
.
Foss Jr. attended
The Hill School
The Hill School (commonly known as The Hill) is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization (TSAO). ...
in
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Pottsville is the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,346 at the 2020 census, and is the principal city of the Pottsville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along the west bank of th ...
, graduating in 1910.
In the summer of 1910, he and his sister vacationed at
Mount Washington
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.
The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934 ...
in
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...
.
For the trip, they drove a
Matheson automobile.
Foss attended
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, graduating with a B.A. and Ph.B. in 1913.
While at Yale, he was a member of the Fraternity Delta Psi (
St. Anthony Hall).
He also was the quarterback of the freshman football team and was elected team captain.
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 ...
, he trained at Plattsville Camp and became a captain in the infantry.
In August 1917, he was assigned to First Company of the New England Regiment to train recruits from Harvard at Plattsville.
Later, he was assigned to military intelligence.
Career
Foss was the president of the Haverstraw Trap Rock Corporation from 1914 to 1916.
The company dealt with trap rock or crushed rock that is used in roads and construction.
From 1920 to 1943, he was vice-president
Parish-Watson & Co., Inc.
Located at 44 East 57th Street in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, Parish-Watson was an art dealer and gallery that specialized in old Chinese porcelain and pottery, as well as
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and
Mughal items. Foss became a well-known collector of oriental rugs, Persian pottery, Chinese pottery, and other items from the East.
He helped many museums create their Chinese and Persian pottery collections, including
The Huntington Art Gallery, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, and the
National Gallery of Art.
He bequeathed his personal collection of more than 100 items to the
Yale University Art Gallery
The Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG) is the oldest university art museum in the Western Hemisphere. It houses a major encyclopedic collection of art in several interconnected buildings on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. ...
.
Some items in that collection include a "Persian Bowl depicting an episode from
Firdawsi’s ''
Shahnameh
The ''Shahnameh'' or ''Shahnama'' ( fa, شاهنامه, Šāhnāme, lit=The Book of Kings, ) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50 ...
"'' from the late 12th–early 13th century, a "Flask with Dancer Performing Sogdian Whirl" from late 7th–early 8th century China, and a "Caparisoned Horse" from 8th century China.
In 1930, Foss followed his father as chairman of the board of the New York Trap Rock Corporation.
In 1935, he was chairman of the New York State Construction Council.
In that capacity, he also served on the New York State Highway Users Conference which was petitioning for better highways.
In 1938, he was nominated for membership in the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York.
In October 1941, the New York Trap Rock Corporation refinanced by releasing $3.5 million in bonds through Smith, Barney & Co. On November 29, 1948, the Department of Justice charged Foss with violating the
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 (, ) is a United States antitrust law which prescribes the rule of free competition among those engaged in commerce. It was passed by Congress and is named for Senator John Sherman, its principal author.
...
as chairman of the New York Trap Rock Corporation.
Also charged were his son, Wilson P. Foss III, who was president of the company, and the vice-president, J. C. Dooley.
The Department of Justice alleged that the Trap Rock Corporation had created a monopoly in New York City area, providing nearly 90% of the crushed rock in the area.
At that time, the company's sales were more than $4.5 million.
In May 1951, a judge ruled against the company, Foss, and Foss III in this case.
As part of the consent decree ruling, the company was prohibited from enlarging its holdings for two years and from interfering with their customers use of other vendors.
Personal
Foss married Mary Burns around 1914.
They had three children: Mary Foss, Hugh Hill Foss, and Wilson Perkins Foss III.
They lived at 155 East 72nd Street in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
.
They also owned a summer home, Conquest Farm, in
Centreville, Maryland
Centreville is an incorporated town in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, United States on the Delmarva Peninsula. Incorporated in 1794, it is the county seat of Queen Anne's County. The population was 4,285 at the 2010 census. The ZIP code is 216 ...
on the Eastern Shore.
In March 1932, portraits of both Foss and his wife by
John Young-Hunter were included in an exhibition in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
at the
Doll and Richards gallery that was organized by
Louise Whitfield Carnegie
Louise Whitfield Carnegie (March 7, 1857 – June 24, 1946) was the wife of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Biography Early life
Louise Whitfield was born on March 7, 1857 in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Her parents—Joh ...
, wife of
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 i ...
. The exhibit was also at the American-Anderson gallery in New York City.
His father died in 1930 leaving an estate worth $30 million.
Foss served as executor and inherited $275,000 in cash and Under Elms, after his mother's death in 1940.
The balance of the estate was to be split evenly amongst Foss and his five siblings after his mother's death.
In 1951, Under Elms underwent a zoning variance to become a nursing home run by Daniel V. Kalina and Marcus M. Brown; a condition for Foss to sell the house.
Foss was an active sportsman and member of the
Triton Fish and Game Club of Canada.
He belonged to the
Rockland Country Club
Rockland Country Club is located in Sparkill, New York, and features an 18-hole golf course.
History
The club was incorporated in 1906 and commissioned Henry Stark to design a 9-hole course that was ready the following year. Robert White laid out ...
, the
Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York
The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York is a charitable organization in New York City of men who are descended from early inhabitants of the State of New York. Charles R. Mackenzie is the current president. The organization preserves ...
, the
Union Club of the City of New York
The Union Club of the City of New York (commonly known as the Union Club) is a private social club in New York City that was founded in 1836. The clubhouse is located at 101 East 69th Street on the corner of Park Avenue, in a landmark building de ...
,
The Yale Club of New York City, and the
Yeaman's Hall Club.
He was also a 32nd degree
Mason.
In 1935, he was first vice president of
The Hill School
The Hill School (commonly known as The Hill) is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization (TSAO). ...
Alumni Association.
He compiled ''The Camper's Guide to Quebec "Bush" French'' which was published by the Triton Club in 1957.
In 1957, he died at the age of 66 from cancer at the
Memorial Hospital in New York City.
His funeral was held at St. James Episcopal Church on Madison Avenue in New York City.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foss, Wilson P. Jr.
1880s births
1957 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
People from Haverstraw, New York
The Hill School alumni
Yale University alumni
Yale Bulldogs athletes
St. Anthony Hall
20th-century businesspeople
20th-century art collectors
Episcopalians from New York (state)
Deaths from cancer in New York (state)