Robert Morrison Olyphant
Robert Morrison Olyphant (September 9, 1824 – May 3, 1918) was an American businessman active in New York City and China in the late 19th century. He served as president of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad for 20 years.[1]
Robert Morrison Olyphant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 9, 1824 Manhattan, New York City |
| Died | May 3, 1918 (aged 93) Manhattan, New York City |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia College (1842) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Vernon |
| Parent(s) | David Olyphant Ann Archer McKenzie |
Life and career
Olyphant was born on September 9, 1824 in Manhattan, New York City to David Olyphant and Ann Archer (McKenzie) Olyphant.[2] After graduating from Columbia College in 1842,[3] he entered his father's firm, Olyphant & Co., in 1842.[4] Olyphant was named for the Scottish missionary Robert Morrison, who was a friend of his father from Canton (now Guangzhou), China.[2]
Olyphant was in China between 1844–1845 and later, from 1858, reorganized Olyphant and Co. in Canton. He retired from the China trade in 1873.[5] On his return from China, he was appointed to the Board of Managers of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company (later the Delaware and Hudson Railroad) and subsequently served as the company's Assistant President and Vice President followed by a twenty-year stint as President.[2]
He died on May 3, 1918 at his home at 160 West Fifty-ninth Street in Manhattan, New York City.[1]
Olyphant is the great-great-grandfather of actor Timothy Olyphant.
References
- "Robert M. Olyphant Dies At 93 Years. Ex-President of Delaware & Hudson Railroad Was the Oldest Alumnus of Columbia" (PDF). New York Times. May 4, 1918. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
- "Scots and Scots Descendant in America Part V - Biographies Robert Morrison Olyphant and Doctor David Olyphant". Retrieved May 20, 2014.
- Columbia College (New York, N.Y.) (1888). Catalogue of the officers and graduates of Columbia College (originally King's College) in the city of New York, 1754-1888. The College. OCLC 16669217.
- "The United States in Asia: A Historical Dictionary". The SHAFR Guide Online. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- Shavit 1990, p. 373.