Henry Morgan Tilford
Henry M. Tilford | |
|---|---|
| File:Henry M. Tilford.png | |
| Born | June 14, 1856 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 3, 1919 (aged 63) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo Episcopal Church Cemetery, Tuxedo Park, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Isabelle Weart Giles
(m. 1885) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | John Boyle Tilford Catherine Hunt Curd Tilford |
| Relatives | Katharine Mortimer (granddaughter) John Jay Mortimer (grandson) |
Henry Morgan Tilford (June 14, 1856 – December 3, 1919) was an American oilman. Tilford served as president of the Continental Oil Company from 1893 to 1907, and as president of Standard Oil of California from 1900 to 1911.
Early life
Tilford was born in Lexington, Kentucky on June 14, 1856. He was the son of Catherine Hunt (née Curd) Tilford (1824–1908)
As a child, his family home was next door to the home of Henry Clay and John Hunt Morgan,
Career
With Jabez A. Bostwick, Tilford founded Bostwick & Tilford, a company that owned barges, lighters and a large refinery on the East River with headquarters at 138 Pearl Street in Manhattan. It was eventually acquired by John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company in 1887. After the merger, Tilford headed up Standard's operations on the West Coast, known as Pacific Coast Oil Company, which later became Standard Oil of California (and today is known as Chevron). By 1907, Tilford owned 6,000 shares.
Tilford retired in the Spring of 1911, however, in 1917, he joined the company's board of directors following the death of John Dustin Archbold in 1916. Two years later, Tilford was succeeded by Walter C. Teagle, who served as president of Standard Oil of New Jersey from 1917 until 1937. At the time of his death, he was associated with the National Fuel Gas Company.
Personal life
On November 12, 1885, Tilford was married to Isabelle Weart Giles (1856–1941). Isabelle was the daughter of John Chrystie Giles and Isabella Lee (née Weart) Giles. Together, they were the parents of:
- Isabelle Tilford (1887–1956), who married David Wagstaff (1882–1951), the son of Alfred Wagstaff Jr. and a Harvard graduate who was a member of the investment and merchant banking firm, Dominick & Dominick.
- Katherine Hunt Tilford (1890–1970), who married Stanley Grafton Mortimer (1890–1947), a son of Richard Mortimer, in 1910.
- Annette Tilford (1900–1946),
Tilford died on December 3, 1919, at the age of 63 at his home, 24 West 52nd Street in Manhattan.
After his death, his widow, who at $5,000,000 in 1920 had "the largest personal possessions among New Yorkers", Mrs. Tilford, who gave up her New York townhouse to live at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, died at Woodland, her Tuxedo estate in 1941.
Descendants
Through his daughter Isabelle, he was the grandfather of Hunt Tilford Wagstaff (1909–1971)
Through his daughter Katherine, he was the grandfather of Stanley G. Mortimer Jr. (1913–1999), Eve Mortimer (1918–2007), and later Lewis Cass Ledyard III; Katharine Mortimer (1923–2003), who married three times (including to Francis Xavier Shields and becoming grandmother of actress Brooke Shields); and John Jay Mortimer (1935–2013), a prominent financier.
Through his daughter Annette, he was the grandfather of Anne (née Haskell) Ellis (1924–2006); Margaret Riker (née Haskell) Ross (1925–1999), whose family home, the Boudinot–Southard Farmstead, was located next to Lord Stirling Park; and Amory Lawrence Haskell Jr. (1928–1970).
In popular culture
Tilford was reportedly the basis for the 2007 American drama film, There Will Be Blood, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano. The film was inspired by Upton Sinclair's novel Oil! and tells the story of a silver miner-turned-oilman on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A fictionalized version of Tilford himself is portrayed in the film by David Warshofsky.