John F. Dryden
John F. Dryden | |
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| United States Senator from New Jersey | |
| In office January 29, 1902 – March 3, 1907 | |
| Preceded by | William Joyce Sewell |
| Succeeded by | Frank O. Briggs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Fairfield Dryden August 7, 1839 Temple, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | November 24, 1911 (aged 72) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Cynthia Jennings Fairchild |
| Relations | John Dryden Kuser (grandson) |
| Education | Worcester Academy |
| Alma mater | Yale College |
John Fairfield Dryden (August 7, 1839 – November 24, 1911) was the founder of the Prudential Insurance Company and a United States Senator from New Jersey. He was known as the "father of industrial insurance".[1]
Early life[]
Dryden was born in Temple, Maine on August 7, 1839. He moved in 1846 with his parents to Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester Academy and later attended Yale College.[1]
Career[]
In 1875, he founded the Widows and Orphans Friendly Society (now Prudential Financial) in Newark, New Jersey, becoming its first secretary and in 1881 its president, serving in the latter position until his death in 1911.[1] His son Forrest succeeded him as president, serving until 1922.[2]
Dryden was one of the founders of the Fidelity Trust Company and was involved in the establishment and management of various street railways, banks, and other financial enterprises in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.[1]
Political career[]
He was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William J. Sewell, serving from January 29, 1902, to March 3, 1907. Dryden was a candidate for reelection but withdrew because of a deadlock in the state legislature, which at the time elected U.S. Senators. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Relations with Canada (57th Congress) and a member of the Committee on Enrolled Bills (58th and 59th Congresses).[1]
Personal life[]
Dryden was married to Cynthia Jennings Fairchild (1842–1916). Together, they were the parents of:
- Forrest Fairchild Dryden (1864–1932),[2] who married Grace Marion Carleton (1865–1936).
- Susan Fairchild "Susie" Dryden (1870–1932), who married prominent businessman and philanthropist Anthony R. Kuser.[3]
Dryden died in Newark, New Jersey on November 24, 1911 from pneumonia,[1] following removal of gall stones two weeks earlier.[4] After a funeral at the Third Presbyterian Church in Newark, he was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery there.[5]
Legacy[]
His estate was valued at $50,000,000. In addition to his home in Bernardsville, New Jersey, Dryden was in the process of constructing a home in High Point, New Jersey that was to be one of the largest homes in the country.[1]
His daughter Susan used part of the Prudential fortune to donate 10,500 acres (42 km2) for a state park at New Jersey's highest point. John Dryden Kuser, Dryden's grandson, was a state senator and Brooke Astor's first husband.[6]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "John F. Dryden Dies Worth $50,000,000. Ex-Senator from New Jersey Succumbs to Pneumonia, Following an Operation". The New York Times. November 25, 1911. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
Ex-United States Senator John F. Dryden, President of the Prudential Insurance Company of America, also known as the "Father of Industrial Insurance", died at 6 o'clock last night at his home, 1020 Broad Street, Newark, N.J. The ex-Senator was operated on a week ago to-day for the removal of gall stones.
- ^ Jump up to: a b TIMES, Suecial to THE NEW TOHK (20 July 1932). "FORREST F. DRYDEN, FINANCIER, IS DEAD; Former Head of the Prudential Insurance Company, Which Was Founded by His Father. ACTIVE IN JERSEY UTILITIES Also Served on Board of Newark Public Library u Was Long Active in National Guard". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ Reel, Special To The New York Times international News (9 February 1929). "COL. A.R. KUSER DIES; JERSEY CAPITALIST; | Donor of Huge Park and Bird Sanctuary at High Point, N.J., Succumbs in Florida. | POWER IN HOME STATE | Long a Director of Public Service Corporation--Aided Medical Centre in City. On Governor's Staff. Gave Great Game Preserve". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "John F. Dryden Operated On". Hartford Courant. November 20, 1911. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
John F Dryden president of the Prudential Insurance Company was operated on for gallstones yesterday at his home in Newark, N.J. ...
- ^ "JOHN F. DRYDEN'S FUNERAL.; Many Prominent Financiers Attend Simple Services for ex-Senator". The New York Times. 28 November 1911. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Dryden Kuser, 66, Jersey Aide, Dies". The New York Times. 6 March 1964. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to John F. Dryden. |
- United States Congress. "John F. Dryden (id: D000507)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- John F. Dryden at Find a Grave
- Works by John Fairfield Dryden at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about John F. Dryden at Internet Archive
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- 1839 births
- 1911 deaths
- Worcester Academy alumni
- Burials at Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Newark, New Jersey)
- United States senators from New Jersey
- People from Bernardsville, New Jersey
- Politicians from Newark, New Jersey
- Politicians from Worcester, Massachusetts
- Prudential Financial people
- Republican Party United States senators
- New Jersey Republicans
- Deaths from pneumonia
- Businesspeople from Worcester, Massachusetts
- 19th-century American politicians
- Businesspeople from Newark, New Jersey
- People from Temple, Maine
- Yale College alumni
- 19th-century American businesspeople
- 19th-century American philanthropists