Augustus Schell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairman of theDemocratic National Committee | |
| In office 1872–1876 | |
| Preceded by | August Belmont, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Abram S. Hewitt |
| Collector of the Port of New York | |
| In office 1857–1861 | |
| Preceded by | Heman J. Redfield |
| Succeeded by | Hiram Barney |
| Chairman of theNew York State Democratic Committee | |
| In office 1853–1856 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 1, 1812 Rhinebeck, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 27, 1884 (aged 71) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Anna Mott Fox |
| Relations | Richard Schell (brother) Edward Schell (brother) |
| Parent(s) | Christian Schell Elizabeth Hughes |
| Alma mater | Union College Litchfield Law School |
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Augustus Schell (August 1, 1812 – March 27, 1884) was a New York politician and lawyer. He was Chairman of theDemocratic National Committee from 1872 to 1876.
Schell was born on August 1, 1812, inRhinebeck, New York. He was the son of Christian Schell (1779–1825), a merchant,[1] and Elizabeth (née Hughes) Schell (1783–1866).[2] He was the brother ofU.S. RepresentativeRichard Schell (1810–1879), Robert Schell (1815–1900), andEdward Schell (1819–1893), who were well-known business men of New York City.[2]
His paternal grandparents were Richard Schell and Anna (née Schultz) Schell.[2]
He was educated atRhinebeck Academy andWesleyan Seminary. He was graduated in 1830 fromUnion College withPhi Beta Kappa honors and membership in theKappa Alpha Society,[3] and then studied atLitchfield Law School.[4]
He was admitted to the bar in 1833,[1] and started a practice in New York City at the firm of John Slosson (1806–1872), later a judge of the New York Superior Court;[5] he formed a firm (Slosson & Schell) with Slosson in 1842.[6] He started out as an early expert in the then new field ofcorporate law and through his profession became active in railroad management. A friend ofCornelius Vanderbilt, he gradually expanded his railroad connections through investments as well as legal counsel.[6]
He was a director in many railroad and financial corporations, including theHarlem Railroad,Lake Shore and Michigan Central, andHudson River Railroads as well as theWestern Union Telegraph Company. He was also active in the management of philanthropic institutions, including 19 years as Chairman of the Executive Committee of theNew-York Historical Society.[4][7]
An activeDemocrat, he joinedTammany Hall in 1852 where, afterWilliam M. Tweed's fall, he succeededAugust Belmont, Sr. as Grand Sachem in 1870.[8] He was head of the Democratic state committee from 1853 to 1856. In the1852, he was proposed as the Democratic candidate forGovernor of New York, although he lost the nomination toHoratio Seymour, who was elected Governor.[4]
During the administration of PresidentJames Buchanan, he wasCollector of the Port of New York.[9]
He was chairman of theDemocratic National Committee that supportedJohn C. Breckinridge for the presidency in 1860 and also from 1872 to 1876,[10] where he managedHorace Greeley'spresidential campaign.[11] In 1872, his name was again put forth for the nomination for Democratic candidate for Governor, but he was prevented by the work ofSamuel Jones Tilden, who was then the Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee.[6] After the trial of William M. Tweed and his associates, Schell became the Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall and labored for the purification and rehabilitation of the Tammany society.[12] In 1878, he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor.[4]
Schell was married to Anna Mott Fox (1827–1905), the daughter of George Shotwell Fox and Rebecca Leggett Fox.[13] At his death, he was worth several million dollars, but having had no children, he left all of his money to his nieces and nephews,[6] except for $200,000 in cash and his home at 9West 34th Street in New York City to his wife, the aunt ofAusten George Fox.[14]
He died on March 27, 1884,[11] fromBright's disease.[15][16][17] He was buried atWoodlawn Cemetery inThe Bronx.[18]
Augustus Schell is the namesake ofSchell City, Missouri, of which he was one of the original proprietors.[19]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | New York State Democratic Committee Chairman 1853 – 1856 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Grand Sachem ofTammany Hall 1870 – 1876 | Succeeded by Charles H. Haswell |
| Preceded by | Democratic National Committee Chairman 1872 – 1876 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Collector of the Port of New York 1857 – 1861 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
