Louis Kroh Liggett (April 4, 1875 – June 5, 1946) was an American drug store magnate who founded L.K. Liggett Drug Company and then

Rexall Rexall was a chain of American drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1903, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug stores across th ...

. He was later chairman of

United Drug Company Rexall was a chain of American Pharmacy (shop), drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1903, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug ...

. He was a member of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. Political action committee, political committee that assists the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republi ...

for

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

Biography

He was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

on April 4, 1875. His parents were John Templeton Liggett and Julia A. Kroh. In 1936 he toured America and parts of Canada with the

Rexall Train Rexall was a chain of American drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1903, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug stores across th ...

to promote Rexall stores and products. In 1937 Louis Liggett moved to 170 Ivy Street, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died on June 5, 1946, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was entombed in the Liggett Mausoleum in Newton Cemetery in Newton.

Estate in Chestnut Hill Newton

From 1916 to 1937, Louis Liggett owned and occupied a estate at 185 Hammond Street in the village of Chestnut Hill in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...

. The main house, built in 1895, was modeled on Gwydr Hall in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. Musa Liggett died in 1931. The estate was donated in 1937 to Cardinal

William Henry O'Connell William Henry O'Connell (December 8, 1859 – April 22, 1944) was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1907 until his death in 1944, and was made a cardinal in 1911. Early life William O'Connell w ...

, Archbishop of Boston, who in 1941 donated it to Boston College, which used it to create its Upper Campus. The main house is now known as
O'Connell House
' and is the center of the Upper Campus. On April 22–23, 1938, the furniture and other property of the late Musa Bence Liggett were sold at auction by Louis K. Liggett's order at American Art Association-Anderson Galleries in New York City.

Personal life

On June 26, 1895, Liggett married Musa Bence. She was born in Michigan on March 19, 1873 to Lavinia and George W. Bence. Liggett and Bence had three children. Musa died on September 7, 1931 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

References

Resources

* ''The Rexall Story: A History of Genius and Neglect'' by Mickey C. Smith {{DEFAULTSORT:Liggett, Louis K. 1875 births 1946 deaths People from Brookline, Massachusetts American businesspeople in retailing People from Newton, Massachusetts Republican National Committee members