Edwin Henry Fitler (December 2, 1825 – May 31, 1896) was an American businessman and politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He founded Edwin H. Fitler & Company, the largest cordage manufacturer in the United States at the time, and served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania in 1876 and

Mayor of Philadelphia The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Jim Kenney. History The first mayor of Philadelphia, ...

from 1887 to 1891.

Early life

Fitler was born in the

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...

neighborhood of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

on December 2, 1825, the son of Elizabeth Wonderly Fitler and William Fitler, who ran a successful leather tanning and manufacturing business. He received his education in Philadelphia, and studied law with attorney Charles E. Lex, but decided on a business career and obtained a position in his brother-in-law's cordage manufacturing business, George J. Weaver & Company. In 1850, Fitler married Josephine R. Baker.

Business career

Fitler became a partner in Weaver's business two years later, and it was renamed Weaver, Fitler & Company. Displaying an aptitude for mechanics, Fitler developed several inventions to improve and speed up rope making, which made the business more profitable. Over time Fitler bought out the other partners in Weaver, Fitler & Company, and by 1870 the business was renamed again to Edwin H. Fitler & Company. He relocated the factory to the Bridgesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia where it covered more than 15 acres of land. His success continued, and his company eventually became the largest cordage manufacturer in the United States. Recognized as a leader in his industry, Fitler served as president of the American Cordage Manufacturers Association. He partnered with

William Deering William Deering (April 25, 1826 – December 9, 1913) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He inherited a woolen mill in Maine, but made his fortune in later life with the Deering Harvester Company. Life Early life Deering was born ...

to conduct experiments to improve a twine binder being developed by Deering. Fitler was also active in other businesses, including member of the board of directors of the National Bank of the Northern Liberties. Fitler also served as president of the board of trustees of the Thomas Jefferson Medical College, a member of the board of managers of the

Edwin Forrest Edwin Forrest (March 9, 1806December 12, 1872) was a prominent nineteenth-century American Shakespearean actor. His feud with the British actor William Macready was the cause of the deadly Astor Place Riot of 1849. Early life Forrest was born i ...

Home, and a member of the board of directors of the

North Pennsylvania Railroad The North Pennsylvania Railroad was a railroad company which served Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County in Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1852 and began operation in 1855. The Philadelphia and Reading Railway, ...

Civic activism

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, Fitler supported the Union. He was a director, vice president, and president of the

Union League of Philadelphia The Union League of Philadelphia is a private club founded in 1862 by the Old Philadelphians as a patriotic society to support the policies of Abraham Lincoln. As of 2022, the club has over 4,000 members. Its main building was built in 1865 and ...

, and his efforts included personally paying to recruit and equip a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

from among the employees of his business. Fitler was a leader in planning and organizing the 1876

Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

. He was also one of the founders of the Philadelphia Art Club and a member of The Philadelphia Club

Political career

Fitler was a

and served as one of Pennsylvania's presidential electors in 1876. In 1887 Fitler was elected

, and he served one term, 1887 to 1891. Though he was not an active candidate, in 1888 Fitler was nominated for US president and received the votes of the Philadelphia delegation on the first ballot at that year's Republican national convention.

Death and legacy

Fitler died on May 31, 1896, at his estate in the

Torresdale Torresdale, also formerly known as Torrisdale, is a neighborhood in the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia. Torresdale is located along the Delaware River between Holmesburg and Bensalem Township in neighboring Bucks County. The adjacent con ...

section of Philadelphia. His net worth was estimated to be $3 million. He was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Fitler Square Fitler Square is a 0.5 acre (0.20 ha) public park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and a surrounding List of Philadelphia neighborhoods, neighborhood of the same name. The square is bounded on the east by 23rd Street, on the west by 24 ...

, an elementary school in Philadelphia and Fitler Street, in Philadelphia's Torresdale neighborhood, are named in his honor. A residence hall in The Quadrangle at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

, Fisher-Hassenfeld College House) bears his name. He is the great-grandfather of

Happy Rockefeller Margaretta Large "Happy" Rockefeller (''née'' Fitler, formerly Murphy; June 9, 1926 – May 19, 2015) was a philanthropist and the second wife of the 49th governor of New York and 41st vice president of the United States, Nelson Rockefeller ...

, second wife of Vice President

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...

References

External links

Edwin Henry Fitler biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitler, Edwin Henry 1825 births 1896 deaths 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American railroad executives American bankers American company founders Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Businesspeople from Philadelphia Mayors of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Republicans Politicians from Philadelphia