Oliver Burr Jennings
Encyclopedia
Oliver Burr Jennings was an American
businessman and one of the original stockholders in Standard Oil
.
to Abraham Gold Jennings and Anna Burr. At a young age he came to New York to learn the dry goods business. In 1849 he headed West to seek his fortune in the California Gold Rush
. He set up a general mercantile store in San Francisco with Benjamin Brewster
and amassed a considerable fortune by outfitting prospecting camps along the coast and around Sacramento
.
On December 13, 1854, he married Esther Judson Goodsell (1828–1908) in Fairfield. Her sister, Almira Geraldine Goodsell, married William Rockefeller
in 1864. They had five children:
, he became interested in the affairs of the Standard Oil
Company. In 1871, when Standard Oil was incorporated in Ohio, Jennings was one of the original stockholders. Of the initial 10,000 shares, John D. Rockefeller
received 2,667; William Rockefeller
, Henry Flagler, and Samuel Andrews received 1,333 each; Stephen V. Harkness
received 1,334; Jennings received 1,000; and the firm of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler
received 1,000.
Jennings served as a director of Standard Oil of Ohio and then as a trustee of the Standard Oil Trust that resulted from the company's reorganization in 1882.
. His estate amounted to $10 million, which he left entirely to his family.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and one of the original stockholders in Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
.
Early life and family
Jennings was born in 1825 in Fairfield, ConnecticutFairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
to Abraham Gold Jennings and Anna Burr. At a young age he came to New York to learn the dry goods business. In 1849 he headed West to seek his fortune in the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. He set up a general mercantile store in San Francisco with Benjamin Brewster
Benjamin Brewster (financier)
Benjamin Brewster was an American industrialist, financier, and one of the original trustees of Standard Oil.-Early life:...
and amassed a considerable fortune by outfitting prospecting camps along the coast and around Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
On December 13, 1854, he married Esther Judson Goodsell (1828–1908) in Fairfield. Her sister, Almira Geraldine Goodsell, married William Rockefeller
William Rockefeller
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. , American financier, was a co-founder with his older brother John D. Rockefeller of the prominent United States Rockefeller family. He was the son of William Avery Rockefeller, Sr. and Eliza Rockefeller.-Youth, education:Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York,...
in 1864. They had five children:
- Annie Burr Jennings
- Walter Jennings (director of Standard Oil Company of New JerseyExxonExxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
; president of the Jekyll Island ClubJekyll Island ClubThe Jekyll Island Club was a private club located on Jekyll Island, on the Georgia coastline. It was founded in 1886 when members of an incorporated hunting and recreational club purchased the island for $125,000 from John Eugune du Bignon. The original design of the Jekyll Island Clubhouse, with...
, 1927–1933) - Helen Goodsell Jennings (married Dr. Walter James, president of the Jekyll Island ClubJekyll Island ClubThe Jekyll Island Club was a private club located on Jekyll Island, on the Georgia coastline. It was founded in 1886 when members of an incorporated hunting and recreational club purchased the island for $125,000 from John Eugune du Bignon. The original design of the Jekyll Island Clubhouse, with...
, 1919–1927) - Emma Brewster Jennings (married Hugh Dudley Auchincloss; mother of Hugh D. Auchincloss, Jr.)
- Oliver Gould JenningsOliver Gould JenningsOliver Gould Jennings was a financier. He served in Connecticut House of Representatives. He was on the boards of Bethlehem Steel, United States Industrial Alcohol Company, McKesson & Robbins, Kingsport Press, Signature Company, National Fuel Gas, and Grocery Store Products.-Biography:He was born...
(married Mary Brewster Jennings, daughter of Benjamin BrewsterBenjamin Brewster (financier)Benjamin Brewster was an American industrialist, financier, and one of the original trustees of Standard Oil.-Early life:...
; father of Brewster JenningsBrewster JenningsBenjamin Brewster Jennings was a founder and president of the Socony-Vacuum company, which became, in 1955, the Standard Oil Company of New York , which would later become Mobil Oil, and then merged to become part of ExxonMobil.-Early life and family:Jennings was born in 1898 to Oliver Gould...
)
Standard Oil
In 1862 he returned to New York with the intention of retiring from all business activities. However, as a consequence of his relation by marriage to William RockefellerWilliam Rockefeller
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. , American financier, was a co-founder with his older brother John D. Rockefeller of the prominent United States Rockefeller family. He was the son of William Avery Rockefeller, Sr. and Eliza Rockefeller.-Youth, education:Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York,...
, he became interested in the affairs of the Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
Company. In 1871, when Standard Oil was incorporated in Ohio, Jennings was one of the original stockholders. Of the initial 10,000 shares, John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
received 2,667; William Rockefeller
William Rockefeller
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. , American financier, was a co-founder with his older brother John D. Rockefeller of the prominent United States Rockefeller family. He was the son of William Avery Rockefeller, Sr. and Eliza Rockefeller.-Youth, education:Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York,...
, Henry Flagler, and Samuel Andrews received 1,333 each; Stephen V. Harkness
Stephen V. Harkness
Stephen Vanderburgh Harkness was an American businessman from Cleveland, Ohio, who invested as a silent partner with oil titan John D. Rockefeller, Sr. in the founding of Standard Oil.-Biography:...
received 1,334; Jennings received 1,000; and the firm of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler
Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler
Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler was a business concern formed in 1867 in Cleveland, Ohio which was a predecessor of the Standard Oil Company. The principals and namesakes were John D. Rockefeller, William Rockefeller, Samuel Andrews, and Henry M. Flagler. Flagler’s wife’s uncle, Stephen V...
received 1,000.
Jennings served as a director of Standard Oil of Ohio and then as a trustee of the Standard Oil Trust that resulted from the company's reorganization in 1882.
Death
Jennings died in 1893 at his residence in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His estate amounted to $10 million, which he left entirely to his family.