John F. Dryden
| John F. Dryden | |
|---|---|
| File:Portrait of John Fairfield Dryden.jpg | |
| United States Senator from New Jersey |
|
| In office January 29, 1902 – March 4, 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 | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
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]
Life and career
Born in Temple, Maine, he moved in 1846 with his parents to Worcester. He graduated from Worcester Academy, then attended Yale College and, in 1875, founded the Widows and Orphans Friendly Society (now Prudential Financial) in Newark, New Jersey, becoming its first secretary and in 1881 its president, and served in the latter position until 1911. He was one of the founders of the Fidelity Trust Company. He was involved in the establishment and management of various street railways, banks, and other financial enterprises in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William J. Sewell and served from January 29, 1902, to March 4, 1907. Dryden was a candidate for reelection, but withdrew because of a deadlock in the legislature, which at the time elected U.S. Senators. While in the Senate, Dryden was chairman of the Committee on Relations with Canada (57th Congress) and a member of the Committee on Enrolled Bills (58th and 59th Congresses).
He died in Newark, New Jersey on November 24, 1911 from pneumonia following removal of gall stones two weeks earlier.[1][2] His estate was valued at $50,000,000.[1] He was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark.
Legacy
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 married Anthony R. Kuser, who would use 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.
References
External links
- John F. Dryden at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Works by John Fairfield Dryden at Project Gutenberg
- Lua error in Module:Internet_Archive at line 573: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
| United States Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from New Jersey 1902–1907 Served alongside: John Kean |
Succeeded by Frank O. Briggs |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to John F. Dryden. |
- Pages with broken file links
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- 1839 births
- 1911 deaths
- Worcester Academy alumni
- Burials at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark
- American businesspeople
- American philanthropists
- United States Senators from New Jersey
- People from Bernardsville, New Jersey
- People from Newark, New Jersey
- People from Worcester, Massachusetts
- Prudential Financial people
- Republican Party United States Senators
- New Jersey Republicans
- Deaths from pneumonia
