Augustus D. Juilliard
Augustus D. Juilliard (April 19, 1836 – April 25, 1919) was an American businessman whose philanthropy built the renowned conservatory of dance, music, and theatre in New York City that bears his name, The Juilliard School.
Career
The son of immigrants from the Burgundy region of France, Juilliard was born at sea while his parents were en route to the United States. His parents were Jean Nicolas Juilliard, a shoemaker, and Anna Burlette, who were both Huguenots. Augustus was raised near Louisville, Ohio.[1] In 1866, he settled in New York City and worked for a manufacturing company of worsted fabrics.The company went bankrupt seven years later and Augustus Juilliard created his own corporation, the Augustus D. Juilliard Company, in 1874. The corporation distributed textiles including wool, silk, and cotton. He became a successful and wealthy merchant who added to his fortune through investments in banking, railroad and insurance. He resided in Tuxedo Park, New York, where he owned a grand mansion. A patron of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History, he served as President of the Metropolitan Opera from 1892 until his death.
Personal life
Juilliard married Helen Marcelus Cositt in 1877. The couple never had children.
Juilliard died in 1919, aged 83, and was interred in the family mausoleum at the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.[2]
Legacy
His will included gifts to hospitals, museums and other charitable causes but the vast majority of his estate was designated for the advancement of music in the United States.[3] In 1920, the Juilliard Foundation was created. In 1924, the Foundation's funds were used by its Trustees to establish the Juilliard Graduate School to assist excelling students with an advanced music education. In 1926, the school was merged with the New York Institute of Musical Art, a music academy established in 1905 by Dr. Frank Damrosch (godson of Franz Liszt) dedicated to providing a teaching level equaling that of the European conservatories.
See also
References
- ↑ Brown, Gary (2009-07-26). "The Monday After: Event Celebrates Stark Countian's Funding of Music School". Canton Repository. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
- ↑ "A. D. Juilliard, Capitalist, Dies. Director of Railroads, Banks, and Life Insurance Companies Succumbs at Clay Home. Dry Goods Commission Merchant Was Head of Metropolitan Opera and Real Estate Company". New York Times. April 26, 1919. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
Augustus D. Juilliard, capitalist and senior member of the firm of A.D. Juilliard Co., 70 North Street, and a Director of many railroad and life insurance corporations, died last night from pneumonia at his home, 11 West Fifty-seventh Street, after a brief illness. ...
- ↑ "Gives $5,000,000 to Advance Music. Will of A. D. Juilliard Provides Aid for Worthy Students and for Entertainment". New York Times. June 27, 1919. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
An unusual bequest, which will mean much to New York City as a centre of musical education and production, was revealed yesterday when the will of the late Augustus D. Juilliard, who died on...