James Watson Webb II (known as James Sr.) (July 1, 1884 – March 4, 1960) was an American polo champion and insurance executive. He was a grandson of

William Henry Vanderbilt William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbi ...

and

James Watson Webb General James Watson Webb (February 8, 1802 – June 7, 1884) was a United States diplomat, newspaper publisher and a New York politician in the Whig and Republican parties. Early life Webb was born in Claverack, New York to Catherine Louisa ...

Early life

Webb was born on July 1, 1884 in Burlington, Vermont. He was the son of Eliza Osgood Vanderbilt (1860–1936) of the

Vanderbilt family The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthr ...

and

William Seward Webb William Seward Webb (January 31, 1851 – October 29, 1926) was a businessman, and inspector general of the Vermont militia with the rank of colonel. He was a founder and former president of the Sons of the American Revolution. Early life Webb wa ...

. His siblings included Frederica Vanderbilt Webb, William Seward Webb Jr., and Vanderbilt Webb.Shelburne Farms, Who's who
/ref> His paternal grandparents were

, the

United States Ambassador to Brazil The following is a list of ambassadors of the United States, or other chiefs of mission, to Brazil. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. List ...

during

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

's administration, and Laura Virginia Cram. His paternal uncles included H. Walter Webb, a noteworthy railway executives, and Alexander Stewart Webb, a noted Civil War general. His maternal grandparents were

and Maria ( née Kissam) Vanderbilt. His maternal aunts and uncles included

Cornelius Vanderbilt II Cornelius "Corneil" Vanderbilt II (November 27, 1843 – September 12, 1899) was an American socialite and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. Noted forebears He was the favorite grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbil ...

(1843–1899),

Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard ( New Dorp, July 23, 1845 – Manhattan, March 3, 1924) was an American heiress and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. As a philanthropist, she funded the YMCA, helping create a hotel for guests of the ...

(1843–1924),

William Kissam Vanderbilt William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments. Early life William Kiss ...

(1849–1920),

Frederick William Vanderbilt Frederick William Vanderbilt (February 2, 1856 – June 29, 1938) was a member of the American Vanderbilt family. He was a director of the New York Central Railroad for 61 years, and also a director of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and o ...

(1856–1938),

Florence Adele Vanderbilt Twombly Florence Adele Vanderbilt Twombly (January 8, 1854 – April 11, 1952) was an American socialite and heiress. She was a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. She and her husband Hamilton McKown Twombly built Florham, a gilded age estate in M ...

(1854–1952),

Emily Thorn Vanderbilt Emily Thorn Vanderbilt (January 31, 1852 – July 28, 1946) was an American philanthropist and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. She financed the creation of New York's Sloane Hospital for Women in 1888 with an endowment of more than $1 ...

(1852–1946) and

George Washington Vanderbilt II George Washington Vanderbilt II (November 14, 1862 – March 6, 1914) was an art collector and member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, which amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads, and various business enterprises. He commission ...

(1862–1914).Vanderbilt rehab a study in family memories
''

The Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'', May 01, 2005 Webb attended and graduated from the Groton School and received an

A.B. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

from

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 ...

in 1907.

Career

After graduating from Yale, Webb started his career with the Chicago and Northwest Railway before joining

Marsh & McLennan Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., doing business as Marsh McLennan, is a global professional services firm, headquartered in New York City with businesses in insurance brokerage, risk management, reinsurance services, talent management, investme ...

, the New York insurance brokerage house in 1911. In 1929, he became a partner in Vanderpoel, Pausner & Webb. In 1933, Webb founded Webb & Lynch, a general insurance brokerage firm, located at 99 John Street in New York, of which he later served as chairman.

Polo career

In 1921, and, again in 1924 and 1927, he played on the American polo team that won the International Polo Cup from England at the

Meadowbrook Polo Club The Meadowbrook Polo Club (originally styled as the "Meadow Brook Club"), located in Old Westbury, New York, is the oldest continuously operating polo club in the United States, first established in 1881.Marie, Kim (August 27, 201The Power of The ...

. His teammates in 1921 were Louis Ezekiel Stoddard, Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., and Devereaux Milburn. His teammates in 1924 were Hitchcock, Malcolm Stevenson, Robert Early Strawbridge, Jr. and Milburn, and in 1927, they were Hitchcock, Stevenson and Milburn. The Cup was the most anticipated event on the sporting calendar in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. Webb, a left hander, was named America's all-time all-star polo team in 1934 by Louis E. Stoddard, chairman of the

United States Polo Association The United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of polo in the United States. Introduction Established in 1890, by David Grubbs the USPA provides resources to over 4,500 individual members and 250 polo club ...

Public service

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 ...

, Webb served in France as a captain of the 311th Field Artillery, 79th Infantry Division, which saw action during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. His wife drove an ambulance in New York City, and was named Assistant Director of the Motor Corps during the War, and in 1942, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

she joined the Civilian Defense Volunteer Organization, and directed the Pershing Square Civil Defense Center and its blood bank. 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 ...

, Webb served a term in the Vermont House of Representatives in 1921.

Personal life

In 1910, he was married to Electra Havemeyer (1888–1960), daughter of

Henry Osborne Havemeyer Henry Osborne Havemeyer (October 18, 1847 – December 4, 1907) was an American industrialist, entrepreneur and sugar refiner who founded and became president of the American Sugar Refining Company in 1891. Havemeyer was the third generation of h ...

and Louisine Waldron Elder. Together, they were the parents of five children: * Electra Webb (1910–1982), who married Dunbar Bostwick, son of Albert Carlton Bostwick, in 1932. * Samuel Blatchley Webb (1912–1988), who married Elizabeth Richey Fisk Johnson (1914–1993) in 1935. They divorced and he later married Martha Trinkle (1910–1990). * Lila Vanderbilt Webb (1913–1961), who married John Currie Wilmerding (1911–1965), son of Henry A. Wilmerding, in 1935. * J. Watson Webb Jr. (1916–2000), who never married. * Harry Havemeyer Webb (1922–1975), who married Kate deForest Jennings, a daughter of Brewster Jennings. James died at his home,

740 Park Avenue 740 Park Avenue is a luxury cooperative apartment building on the west side of Park Avenue between East 71st and 72nd Streets in the Lenox Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was described in ''Business Insider'' in 2011 as "a l ...

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 ...

on March 4, 1960. His widow died a little over eight months later on November 19, 1960.

Legacy

Along with his wife, he was a co-founder of the

Shelburne Museum Shelburne Museum is a museum of art, design, and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the museum grounds. It is located ...

. The museum was a showcase of his wife's "collection of collections" of early American homes and public buildings, including a general store, meeting house, log cabin, and a steamship. He was also a trustee of the

New York Zoological Society New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

and Norwich University in

Northfield, Vermont Northfield is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The town lies in a valley within the Green Mountains and has been home to Norwich University since 1866. It contains the village of Northfield, where over half of the population ...

, where he received an honorary

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...

in 1955.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, James Watson II 1884 births 1960 deaths International Polo Cup James Watson II