Cord Meyer II | |
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| Born | (1854-10-09)October 9, 1854 |
| Died | October 14, 1910(1910-10-14) (aged 56) |
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Cord MeyerII (October 9, 1854 – October 14, 1910) was an American businessman and politician from New York.
Meyer was born on October 9, 1854[1] inNewtown, New York,[2] the son ofCord Meyer Sr. and Catharine Benson. His father was aGerman immigrant fromHanover who founded the sugar refining firm Dick & Meyer.[3]
Meyer went to theCity College of New York underProfessor Doremus. In 1874, he left the university at his father's request to begin his business career. He initially worked for the Acme Fertilizer Company and quickly moved his way up into an executive position in the company. He then cooperated with his father's sugar refining firm and formed Wall Street connections through the brokerage house C. L. Rathborne & Company. After his father died in 1891, he purchased a large tract of land and developed it into a residential neighborhood calledElmhurst. He developed the neighborhood through the Cord Meyer Company, which he created and would later be taken over by his sons Charles G., J. Edward, and George C., with his brother Christian M. as its president. In order to provide Elmhurst with water, he founded the Citizens' Water Supply Company of Newtown, with his brother and sons in later put charge of the company until it was acquired byNew York City in 1922. In 1904, he began developingForest Hills through the Cord Meyer Development Company, with his son George serving as its manager from the beginning.[4]
Meyer was also a leading figure in the Continental National Bank, and upon its merger with theHanover National Bank he sat on its board of directors. He also played an active part as a director in the merging of the Colonial Trust Company and theTrust Company of America. During thePanic of 1907, he participated in theconference atJ. P. Morgan'slibrary. For many years, he was a member of the executive committee of the Home Insurance Company together withCornelius N. Bliss and Elbridge G. Snow. He was an organizer or executive officer of the Cord Meyer Company, the Acme Fertilizer Company, Dick & Meyer Sugar Refineries, the Cord Meyer Development Company, the Lake Charles Rice Milling Company, the Trust Company of America (later merged into theEquitable Trust Company), the Colonial Safe Deposit Company, the Newtown Railway, and the Maspeth Development Company. He was also a director or trustee of theTennessee Coal and Iron Company (later part of theUnited States Steel Corporation), the Atlanta & Birmingham Railroad Company, the Kings County Trust Company, the Western New York and Pennsylvania Traction Company, St. Paul's Mining Company, the Lanyon Zinc Company, the American Agricultural and Chemical Company, the Hanover National Bank, and the Trust Company of America.[4]
Shortly after reaching his majority, he became associated with theDemocratic Party inQueens County. He fought for control of the county withLong Island City mayorPatrick Gleason and won. He served on theNew York State Democratic Committee from 1884 to 1889, serving as the secretary for a time.[2] In 1892, GovernorFlower appointed him a World's Fair Commissioner. In the1893 election, he was the Democratic candidate forSecretary of State of New York.[2] He lost the election toJohn Palmer. He was Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee from 1904 to 1906, and was opposed toWilliam Randolph Hearst's nomination as gubernatorial candidate in the1906 election.[5]
Meyer was a member of theNew York Yacht Club, theNew York Athletic Club, theAutomobile Club of America, theLarchmont Yacht Club, theManhattan Club, and theIndian Harbor Yacht Club. In 1878, he married Cornelia Maria Covert. Their children were:
His three elder sons worked in their fathers' companies, Robert worked inW. R. Grace and Company, and the younger Cord was a secretary in theUnited States Diplomatic Service.[4]
Meyer died at his home inGreat Neck fromptomaine poisoning on October 14, 1910. He bought the estate, known as The Cove, several years beforehand.[5] He was buried in the All Saints Churchyard in Great Neck.[6]
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| Preceded by | Chairman of theNew York State Democratic Committee 1904–1906 | Succeeded by |