John Sergeant Cram Sr. (May 18, 1851 - January 18, 1936) was
president of the Dock Board The Commissioner of Docks of New York City was the head of the Department of Docks created by the New York State Legislature's 1870 revision of the New York City Charter, which returned numerous powers to the city government that had previously been ...
and the head of the
New York Public Service Commission
The New York Public Service Commission is the public utilities commission of the New York state government that regulates and oversees the electric, gas, water, and telecommunication industries in New York as part of the Department of Public Ser ...
.
Early life
Cram was born on May 18, 1851, in New York City. He was the eldest son born to Harry Augustus Cram (1818–1894), a lawyer, and Katherine Sergeant (1825–1910). His maternal grandparents were John Sergeant (1779–1852), a U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Pennsylvania, and Margaretta (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 ...
Watmough) Sergeant (1787–1869).
His aunt, Margaretta Sergeant was married to Major General George Meade
George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a United States Army officer and civil engineer best known for decisively defeating Confederate States Army, Confederate Full General (CSA), General Robert E. Lee at the Battle ...
. Through his aunt, Sarah Sergeant, who married Governor of Virginia
The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022.
Oath of office
On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...
Henry A. Wise
Henry Alexander Wise (December 3, 1806 – September 12, 1876) was an American attorney, diplomat, politician and slave owner from Virginia. As the 33rd Governor of Virginia, Wise served as a significant figure on the path to the American Civil W ...
, he was a first cousin of politicians John Sergeant Wise
John Sergeant Wise (December 27, 1846 – May 12, 1913) was an American author, lawyer, and politician in Virginia. He was the son of Henry Alexander Wise, a Governor of Virginia, and Sarah Sergeant.
Early life
John was born in Rio de Janeir ...
and Richard Alsop Wise
Richard Alsop Wise (September 2, 1843 – December 21, 1900) was an educator and politician from Virginia. He was a U.S. Representative for parts of two terms. He was a son of Henry Alexander Wise, grandson of John Sergeant, brother of John S ...
. His uncle was 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 ( ...
, the United States Ambassador to Brazil
The following is a list of ambassadors of the United States, or other head of mission, chiefs of mission, to Brazil. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipot ...
, who married his father's sister, Laura Virginia Cram. Through Webb, he was a first cousin of Gen. Alexander S. Webb
Alexander Stewart Webb (February 15, 1835 – February 12, 1911) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, he w ...
, railroad executive H. Walter Webb, G. Creighton Webb, and Dr. 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 w ...
, who married Eliza Osgood Vanderbilt, daughter of William H. 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 ...
.[
]
Career
He was educated at St. Paul's School and graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
in 1872 and, later, Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
in 1875.[ After graduation from Law School, he practiced law with his father at his father's firm.]
Cram was first appointed to the Dock Board by Mayor Thomas Francis Gilroy
Thomas Francis Gilroy (June 3, 1840 – December 1, 1911) was the 89th mayor of New York City from 1893 to 1894.
Biography
Gilroy was born in Sligo, Ireland, and immigrated with his parents to New York City at age seven. His father died soon aft ...
. He was reappointed by Mayor Hugh J. Grant and during the Robert Anderson Van Wyck
Robert Anderson Van Wyck ( ;Paumgarten, Nick"The Van Wyck Question" ''The New Yorker'', June 11, 2001. Accessed September 12, 2008. July 20, 1849November 14, 1918) was the first mayor of New York City after the consolidation of the five boroughs ...
administration, he was appointed president of the Dock Board The Commissioner of Docks of New York City was the head of the Department of Docks created by the New York State Legislature's 1870 revision of the New York City Charter, which returned numerous powers to the city government that had previously been ...
.
In 1911, he was nominated by to the New York Public Service Commission
The New York Public Service Commission is the public utilities commission of the New York state government that regulates and oversees the electric, gas, water, and telecommunication industries in New York as part of the Department of Public Ser ...
by Governor John Alden Dix
John Alden Dix (December 25, 1860 – April 9, 1928) was an American businessman and politician who served as 38th Governor of New York from January 1911 to January 1913.
A native of Glens Falls, New York, Dix attended Cornell University befo ...
, with Dix stating:
I know Mr. Cram to be a man of unusual of force and ability and of demonstrated courage and independence. He is a man who accomplishes results, the kind of man the New York City rapid transit situation needs at the present time."
He was confirmed by the New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate.
Partisan com ...
over the denunciation of State Senator Josiah T. Newcomb
Josiah Turner Newcomb (June 19, 1868 – January 3, 1944) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.
Life
He was born on June 19, 1868, in Owosso, Shiawassee County, Michigan, the son of Henry Martyn Newcomb and Lucia (Turner) Newcomb ...
, a Republican who was opposed to the stronghold of Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
. He was reappointed by Governor Charles Seymour Whitman
Charles Seymour Whitman (September 29, 1868March 29, 1947) was an American lawyer who served as the 41st Governor of New York from January 1, 1915, to December 31, 1918. An attorney and politician, he also served as a delegate from New York to t ...
, serving until 1916 when he was replaced by Travis Harvard Whitney
Travis Harvard Whitney (June 22, 1875 - January 8, 1934) was the head of the New York Public Service Commission.
Biography
He was born on June 22, 1875, in Gentryville, Indiana, to Thomas J. and Mary J. Whitney (née Strauss). He attended Harv ...
.[
He was perhaps best known at the time of his death as the close friend and social advisor to ]Charles Francis Murphy
Charles Francis "Silent Charlie" Murphy (June 20, 1858 – April 25, 1924), also known as Boss Murphy, was an American political figure. He was also the longest-serving head of New York City's Tammany Hall, a position he served from 1902 to 192 ...
, the late leader of Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
.[
]
Personal life
In 1898, he was first married at the age of 47 to the widow Georgiana Beatrice Budd (1875–1903), a daughter of Samuel Budd. She had previously married Clarence Benedict Cleland (1867–1895) in 1894. The marriage to Mrs. Cleland was done without the knowledge his family, with whom he was residing at the time of his marriage. Her father was a haberdasher
In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a retailer who sells men's clothing, ...
who supplied Cram, and his fellow members of the exclusive Knickerbocker Club
The Knickerbocker Club (known informally as The Knick) is a gentlemen's club in New York City that was founded in 1871. It is considered to be the most exclusive club in the United States and one of the most aristocratic gentlemen's clubs in th ...
, with his clothing, was a mild scandal at the time for someone of his social prominence.
On January 17, 1906, he married Edith Claire Bryce
Edith Claire Cram ( Bryce; May 6, 1880 – February 28, 1960) was an American peace activist and heiress. She founded Peace House, which produced anti-war and peace movement lectures, newspaper advertisements, and other propaganda to promote peace ...
(1880–1960), the daughter of General Lloyd Stephens Bryce
Lloyd Stephens Bryce (September 20, 1851 – April 2, 1917) was an American diplomat and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1887 to 1889. He was also a prominent magazine editor.
Early life
Lloyd Bry ...
, the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
The United States diplomatic mission to the Netherlands consists of the embassy located in The Hague and a consular office located in Amsterdam.
In 1782, John Adams was appointed America's first Minister Plenipotentiary to Holland. According t ...
and Edith (née Cooper) Bryce. Her mother was the only child of New York City Mayor
The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
Edward Cooper, himself the son of prominent industrialist Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper (February 12, 1791April 4, 1883) was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and politician. He designed and built the first American steam locomotive, the ''Tom Thumb'', founded the Cooper Union for the Advancement of S ...
. Her sister, Cornelia Elizabeth Bryce (1881–1960), was married to conservationist Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot (August 11, 1865October 4, 1946) was an American forester and politician. He served as the fourth chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry, as the first head of the United States Forest Service, and as the 28th governor of Pennsy ...
(1865–1946), the first Chief of the United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
under Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, in 1914. Her brother, Peter Cooper Bryce (1889–1964), was married Angelica Schuyler Brown (1890–1980), of the Brown banking family, in 1917. Together, they were the parents of:
* Henry Sergeant Cram (1907–1997), who married Edith Kingdon Drexel (1911–1934), the granddaughter of Anthony Joseph Drexel Jr. and George Jay Gould I
George Jay Gould I (February 6, 1864 – May 16, 1923) was a financier and the son of Jay Gould. He was himself a railroad executive, leading the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (DRGW), Western Pacific Railroad (WP), and the Manhatta ...
, in 1930. Cram later married Ruth Vaux, a granddaughter of Richard Vaux
Richard Vaux (December 19, 1816 – March 22, 1895) was an American politician. He was mayor of Philadelphia and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Early life and education
Richard Vaux was born in Philadelphia, P ...
, after his first wife's death.
* Edith Bryce Cram (1908–1972), who married Arthur Gerhard in 1950.
* John Sergeant Cram (1910–1997)
He died at his residence, 9 East 64th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, on January 18, 1936, and was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several bl ...
. His widow died in 1960.
Descendants
His grandson, John Sergeant Cram III, was married to Lady Jeanne Campbell (1928–2007), the only daughter from the Duke of Argyll
Duke of Argyll ( gd, Diùc Earraghàidheil) is a title created in the peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The earls, marquesses, and dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful ...
's first marriage. She had previously been married to American writer Norman Mailer
Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...
. Lady Jeanne and John had several children, including Cusi Cram
Cusi Cram (born September 22, 1967) is an American playwright, screenwriter, actress, model, director, educator, and advocate for women in the arts.
Early life
Cusi Cram was born in Manhattan, New York, on September 22, 1967, to Lady Jeanne Camp ...
(b. 1967), an actress, a Herrick-prize-winning playwright, and an Emmy-nominated writer for the children's animated television program, ''Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
''.IMDb
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References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cram, John Sergeant
1851 births
1936 deaths
Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery
American civil servants
Place of birth missing
Harvard Law School alumni
St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) alumni