Charles Millard Pratt (November 2, 1855 – November 27, 1935) was an American oil industrialist, educator, and philanthropist. As the eldest son of industrialist

Charles Pratt Charles Pratt (October 2, 1830 – May 4, 1891) was an American businessman. Pratt was a pioneer of the U.S. petroleum industry, and he established his kerosene refinery Astral Oil Works in Brooklyn, New York. He then lived with his growing fam ...

, in 1875 he began working at

Charles Pratt and Company Charles Pratt and Company was an oil company that was formed in 1867 by Charles Pratt and Henry H. Rogers in Brooklyn, New York. It became part of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil organization in 1874. History Pratt, born in Watertown, Massach ...

, soon becoming president. He was a director of the

Standard Oil Company Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co- ...

and later a president of the

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was founded in 1887 ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. A philanthropist, he donated large sums to

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...

and

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educati ...

, among other institutions.

Early life and education

Pratt was born on November 2, 1855 in

. He was raised on the Pratt family estate at 232 Clinton Avenue in the Clinton Hill district. Pratt was the eldest son of

and Lydia A. Richardson. His father married again, after the death of his first wife, to Mary Richardson. Charles had five younger half-brothers:

Frederic B. Pratt Frederic Bayley Pratt (22 February 1865 – 3 May 1945) was an American heir, the president of the board of trustees of Brooklyn's Pratt Institute for 44 years, from 1893 to 1937, and president of the United States Olympic Committee in 1910. ...

George Dupont Pratt George Dupont Pratt (August 16, 1869 – January 20, 1935) was an American conservationist, philanthropist, Boy Scout sponsor, big-game hunter and collector of ancient antiquities. Early life Pratt was born on August 16, 1869, and raised i ...

Herbert L. Pratt Herbert Lee Pratt (November 21, 1871 – February 3, 1945) was an American businessman and a leading figure in the United States oil industry. In 1923, he became head of Standard Oil of New York; his father Charles Pratt was a founder of Astra ...

John Teele Pratt John Teele Pratt (December 25, 1873 – June 17, 1927) was an American corporate attorney, philanthropist, music impresario, and financier. Early life Pratt was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 25, 1873. He was one of six children born ...

and Harold I. Pratt, and one half-sister. He graduated from Adelphi Academy in 1875 and from

in the class of 1879. In 1880 at the age of 24, he was living at the family estate in Clinton Hill with his six younger siblings.

Career

In 1875, Pratt began his business career at one of the family businesses, Charles Pratt & Co, a financial firm started by his father. He later became its president. Pratt joined

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co- ...

in 1879. He was a director and secretary at

from 1899 to 1911, and treasurer from 1908 to 1911. For years he was also president of the

in Brooklyn, contributing greatly to its endowment. For a time, he was a vice president of the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. With an average week ...

. He also held directorships in other companies, including the

Brooklyn City Railroad The Brooklyn City Railroad (BCRR) was the oldest and one of the largest operators of streetcars ( horsecars and later trolleys) in the City of Brooklyn, New York, continuing in that role when Brooklyn became a borough of New York City in 1898 ...

and

American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...

. In March 1900, Pratt was re-elected a director of the United States Mortgage and Trust Company, to serve three years. Prior to 1923, he was a trustee of the

Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company The Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company was a mutual insurance company which offers personal, marine, commercial property, and casualty insurance.Atlantic Mutual Companies, ''Meeting the Challenges of Our Time: 2001 Annual Report,'' 2001. It is pa ...

, president and director of The Thrift, and director of the Union Mortgage Company, Chelseai Fibre Mills, Hoagland Laboratories, Pratt & Lambert, Self-Winding Clock Company, and others. In May 1923, Justice Stephen Calaghan of the Kings County Supreme Court confirmed “findings of a special sheriff's jury” that Pratt was unable to conduct his business. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reported that this was due to his "age," likely a euphemism for

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

or another variant of

cognitive impairment Cognitive deficit is an inclusive term to describe any characteristic that acts as a barrier to the cognition process. The term may describe * deficits in overall intelligence (as with intellectual disabilities), * specific and restricted defici ...

. His wife and two living sons were named a committee of the person to represent him. According to the report, the condition manifested in December 1922.

Philanthropy

He was president of the Pratt Institute's board of trustees, as well for a time of the Adelphi Academy. He was a trustee of Amherst College and Vassar College. He was a director of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities and other charitable entities. He personally contributed funds to Adelphi Academy, Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn, and Amherst and Vassar. For example, as a trustee of Vassar from 1896 to 1920, he contributed more than $800,000, which enabled development of the college's outdoor theatre, artificial lake, and landscape gardens. ''

'' said the gardens “made its campus famous throughout the country.” Pratt House at Vassar, a residence for the warden (a variegated administrative role encompassing

student affairs Student affairs, student support, or student services is the department or division of services and support for student success at institutions of higher education to enhance student growth and development. People who work in this field are know ...

duties), was completed in 1915 by architects

York and Sawyer York and Sawyer was an American architectural firm active between 1898 and 1949. The firms' work is exemplary of Beaux-Arts architecture as it was practiced in the United States. The partners Edward York (July 23, 1863– December 30, 1928) and ...

. Pratt also contributed to the endowment and the building of structures at the Pratt Institute. In 1910, he and his five brothers and a sister gave $1,750,000 to the institute. As a trustee of Amherst from 1897 and 1921, Pratt contributed funds for a gymnasium, dormitory, and other buildings. He was the first alumnus to donate a building to Amherst College—the Pratt Gymnasium was erected in 1883, and was reconstructed as the Pratt Museum in 1942. Following further rebuilding, it reopened in August 2007 as the Charles M. Pratt Dormitory. Pratt was also responsible for the Morris Pratt Dormitory at Amherst College in 1911, in memory of his son Morris, who died at Amherst while an undergraduate student.

Personal life

He was married to Mary Seamoor Morris Pratt, daughter of

Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connec ...

Luzon B. Morris, on May 8, 1994. He and Mary Seymour Morris had five children: * Morris Pratt (November 29, 1885 – July 15, 1910) * Theodore Pratt (May 21, 1887 – June 1977) married Laura Merrick on June 2, 1910. They had three children, Gwendolyn Pratt (October 27, 1917 – October 31, 1917), Theodore Pratt Jr.(June 16, 1920 – January 15, 1998), and Merrick Pratt (born June 4, 1922). * Margaret Richardson Pratt (July 19, 1889 – January 20, 1919) married Frank J Frost. They had two children, Morris Pratt Frost (November 19, 1916 – July 11, 1990) and Margaret Frost (January 18, 1919 – January 19, 1919) * Katherine Eugenia Pratt (May 28, 1891 – April 20, 1981) married Burton Parker Twichell, son of Rev.

Joseph Twichell Reverend Joseph Hopkins Twichell (November 30, 1838 – December 20, 1918) was a writer and Congregational minister from Hartford, Connecticut. He was a close friend of writer Mark Twain for over forty years and is believed to be the model for th ...

. They had four children, David Cushman Twichell (born April 16, 1918), Margaret Frost Twichell (born August 13, 1919), Harmony Twichell (September 9, 1921 – February 20, 1993), and Charles Pratt Twichell (February 27, 1924 – April 3, 2004). * Richardson Pratt (June 16, 1894 – August 16, 1959) married Laura Cecelia Parsons. They had two children, Mary Marselis Pratt (born September 26, 1920) and Richardson Pratt Jr (March 25, 1923 – May 1, 2001). Pratt was a member of the

Alpha Delta Phi Alpha Delta Phi (), commonly known as Alpha Delt, ADPhi, A-Delt, or ADP, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. Alpha Delta Phi was originally founded as a literary society by Samuel Eells in 1832 at Hamilton College in C ...

fraternity, and the Nassau Country Club at the time of his death in 1935. He had previously belonged to the

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

The Nineteenth Century Club The Nineteenth Century Club is a historic Philanthropy, philanthropic and cultural Women's club (United States), women's club based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Nineteenth Century Club adopted the idea that the community was an extended "household" ...

, the Brooklyn Club, and Hamilton Club, and the

Montauk Club The Montauk Club is a social club located in a Francis Kimball-designed building in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Club provides dining and drinking services and offers an extensive schedule of events including a Book Club, a Beer Club, Murder Mystery ...

Death and services

Pratt died on November 26, 1935, at Seamoor, his estate in

Glen Cove, New York Glen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island. At the 2020 United States Census, the city population was 28,365 as of the 2020 census. The city was considered part of the early 20th century ...

. Although had been ailing since late 1922, his cognitive impairment was further exacerbated by the death of brother

in January 1935. Charles Pratt was survived by his widow, his sons Richardson and Theodore Pratt, a daughter Katherine Eugenia (Mrs. Burton Parker Twitchell), and three brothers and a sister. Private funeral rites were held at Seamoor under Reverend

S. Parkes Cadman Samuel Parkes Cadman (December 18, 1864 – July 12, 1936) was an English-born American liberal Protestant clergyman, newspaper writer, and pioneer Christian radio broadcaster of the 1920s and 1930s. He was an early advocate of ecumenism and an ou ...

of the Central Congregational Church of Brooklyn.

Legacy and honors

In 1903, Pratt was awarded an honorary degree from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

. Upon his death, his estate left $150,000 to educational and religious institutions. His will granted much of his estate to his widow and three children, with funds also to Pratt Institute, Vassar College, Amherst College, Emmanuel Baptist Church of Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities. Funds also went to the International Committee of the

Young Men's Christian Association YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, original ...

, as well as

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...

, and the Presbyterian Church of Glen Cove, L.I. A June 1938 report filed with Kings County valued the C. M. Pratt estate at a net value of $20,004,812. Gross estate was $22,181,006. His widow and children were to share in the property, which was primarily in stocks and bonds. A state tax of $3,305,062 was levied against the property, with the Federal tax more. His widow died on October 24, 1947, at their home of Seamoor in Glen Cove.

Estates

Pratt had a number of estates and mansions designed.

William Tubby William Bunker Tubby (21 August 1858 – 1944) was an American architect who was particularly notable for his work in New York City. Tubby was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in 1875.Christopher G ...

designed the Charles Millard Pratt House at 241 Clinton Avenue,

Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Clinton Hill is a neighborhood in north-central Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. It is bordered by the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to the north, Williamsburg to the northeast, Classon Avenue and Bedford–Stuyves ...

in 1893. Located in the Clinton Hill Historic District, it is one of the city's finest examples of

Romanesque Revival architecture Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

. The property, owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, is now the new residence of the Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn. In 2014 an enormous renovation and restoration effort was undertaken and Brazilian-American Artist Sergio Rossetti Morosini was commissioned to built new staircases in stone, restore the endangered brownstone architectural artwork, including ornaments, the critically worn façade and its decayed limestone walls. Between 1921 and his death in 1935, Pratt spent "practically all his time" at 241 Clinton Avenue. He also spent time at his estates outside of Brooklyn. Pratt had a winter home, also known as Charles M. Pratt House, designed by architects

Greene and Greene Greene and Greene was an architectural firm established by brothers Charles Sumner Greene (1868–1957) and Henry Mather Greene (January 23, 1870 – October 2, 1954), influential early 20th Century American architects. Active primarily in Cal ...

Ojai, California Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and ...

and completed in 1909. The winter bungalow was on a 54-acre estate as of 2001. ''

Architectural Digest ''Architectural Digest'' is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subjects are interior design and landscaping, rather than pure external architecture. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, which also publishes internati ...

'' described it as an “American masterpiece.” In 1923, Pratt was said to be living at Seamoor, his summer estate, on the North Shore of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

. Seamoor was designed by the New York firm of

Lamb & Rich Hugh Lamb (ca. 1850-1903) and Charles Alonzo Rich (ca. 1850-1943) were partners in the New York City architecture firm of Lamb & Rich, which operated from 1880 to 1899.The firm was preceded by the firm of Lamb & Wheeler (1877–1881) and succeeded ...

.Robert B. MacKay, et al., Long Island Country Houses and Their Architects (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997), 245–46. In 1903, a barn on the property burned down, killing 12 horses. Pratt said the losses were covered by insurance. By October 1930, the property's assessed valuation was around $7 million. The Pratt estate also included the homes of nine members of the family: Representative Ruth Baker Pratt, Harold I. Pratt,

, George D. Pratt, F. L. Babbett and Helen P. Emmetto. The large estate was later broken up. In the late 20th century, a portion of the property was donated to the city of Glen Cove for use as a public park. It has been developed for a golf course, tennis courts, a restaurant and related facilities.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pratt, Charles Millard 1855 births 1935 deaths Philanthropists from New York (state) American businesspeople in the oil industry Amherst College alumni People from Clinton Hill, Brooklyn People from Glen Cove, New York Members of the Vassar College Board of Trustees Charles Pratt family Businesspeople from New York City 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople Presidents of Pratt Institute