Jennie Louise Crocker Fassett

Jennie Louise Crocker Fassett (1860 – 1939) was an American heiress, known for her philanthropy to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California.

Jennie Louise Crocker Fassett
Jennie Crocker, 1898
Born
Jennie Louise Crocker

(1860-05-02)May 2, 1860
Sacramento, California
DiedNovember 17, 1939(1939-11-17) (aged 79)
Katonah, New York
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, New York
Spouse(s)
(
m. 1879⁠–⁠1924)
, his death

Biography

Born on May 2, 1860 in Sacramento, California,[1] Fassett was the daughter of the California Supreme Court Justice Edwin B. Crocker and Margaret Rhodes Crocker.[2][3] Her younger sister was the notorious Bohemian Aimée Crocker. She married lawyer and politician Jacob Sloat Fassett in 1879 and the couple moved to his hometown of Elmira, New York.[2] They were frequent travelers and were among the first people from the west to enter the Royal Court of Korea, visiting there in 1912.[2] She collected jade, ivory, sculpture, and ceramics from Korea.[2]

Their children were Bryant, a physician; Newton; Truman; Jacob Sloat, Jr.; Jennie; and Margaret.[4][5] She and her husband had a Queen Anne style house, designed by Robert Bickford, built for the family. After her husband's death, she had the large house, called the Strathmont mansion, renovated into separate living spaces for herself and her secretary and his wife.[6]

She received an honorary degree from Elmira College. The Doctor of Humane Letters was awarded in 1933. She died on November 17, 1939[7] in Katonah, New York.[5] She was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira.[8]

Philanthropy

Her parents had founded the Crocker Art Museum and Fassett was a long time champion of the family's art gallery.[2] In 1911, she contributed $10,000 so the city could purchase the Crocker house, which was then used for offices and to expand the gallery space.[2] Fassett donated a $25,000 (equivalent to $372,238 in 2019) trust fund and her Asian art collection to the museum in 1928.[2][3]

A leader in the Elmira community, she founded, led, and contributed to the Elmira Federation for Social Service, including the construction of its building. She frequently donated to causes domestically and internationally, including to Elmira College.[7]

References
  1. "Jennie Crocker Fassett", Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925; Certificates: 119376-119749, Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Jennie Crocker Fassett, age 60, birth date 2 May 1860 at Sacramento, California. Residence Elmira, New York. Passport issued 14 Dec 1920, certificate 119737. Spouse Jacob Sloat Fassett
  2. "The Crockers - Jennie Louise Crocker Fassett". Crocker Art Museum. June 20, 2017.
  3. "California Museum Given Art Treasures". The Los Angeles Times. April 19, 1928. p. 7. Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "Dr. Bryant S. Fassett Dies Whole Community Mourns Loss". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. March 24, 1908. p. 12. Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Mrs. Fassett's Will Directs 2 Sons and 2 Daughters Share Her Estate Equally". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. November 29, 1939. p. 11. Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  6. Martha Horton (November 16, 2008). "Double Home Stands Out in Near Westside Historic District". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. p. 34. Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  7. "Federation Board Appoints Committee for Memorial to Mrs. J. Sloan Fassett". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. December 6, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "Funerals". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. November 21, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
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