Martin A. Ryerson (1856–1932) was an American, lawyer, businessman, philanthropist and art collector. Heir to a considerable fortune, he was a lumber manufacturer and corporate director. He became the richest man in Chicago by the age of 36. A long-time trustee of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

, he made large charitable contributions for the construction of buildings on campus. He bequeathed his extensive art collection to the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

Early life

Martin A. Ryerson was born in 1856 in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. His father, Martin L. Ryerson, was a lumber baron in

forests who invested in real estate in

Downtown Chicago ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...

. His mother, Mary Ann Campau, was the niece of Louis Campau, the founder of

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is th ...

and member of the Detroit's

Campau family The Campau family of Detroit, Michigan, was established when brothers Michel and Jacques Campau settled in Detroit, Michigan in 1707 and 1708, respectively. Jacques, Joseph Campau, and Barnabé Campau are among the Barons of Detroit, according to R ...

. Ryerson grew up in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. He was educated in Paris and Geneva. He graduated from the

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each c ...

in 1878.

Career

Ryerson started his career as a lawyer. In 1880, he joined the family business, working for his father, who owned the only remaining lumberyard in Chicago in the aftermath of the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 1 ...

of 1871. As a lumber manufacturer, Ryerson was Chicago's richest man by the age of thirty-six. Ryerson served on the board of directors of the Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company,

Northern Trust Northern Trust Corporation is a financial services company headquartered in Chicago that caters to corporations, institutional investors, and ultra high net worth individuals. Northern Trust is one of the largest banking institutions in the Un ...

, and the

Elgin National Watch Company The Elgin National Watch Company, commonly known as Elgin Watch Company, was a major US watch maker from 1864 to 1968. The company sold watches under the names Elgin, Lord Elgin, and Lady Elgin. For nearly 100 years, the company's manufacturing ...

Philanthropy

Ryerson served as the president of the board of trustees of the

from 1892 to 1922. He donated over $2 million to the university, including $350,000 for the construction of the Ryerson Physical Laboratory and $25,000 for the establishment of the Harper Memorial Library on campus. Additionally, he endowed the Martin A. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professorship in 1925. Ryerson served on the board of trustees of the

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropy, philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, aft ...

. He served as honorary President of the

. He also served as the Vice President of the

Field Columbian Museum The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educational ...

from 1894. He donated $300,000 to build the Ryerson Library in

Art collection

Ryerson maintained an art collection. He was the owner of five paintings by

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, feminine sensuality ...

and sixteen paintings by

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...

. He also collected paintings by

Old Master In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...

Personal life

With his wife Carrie, Ryerson resided at 4851 South Drexel Boulevard in Chicago. They summered at

Bonnie Brae Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...

, an estate in

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Lake Geneva is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Walworth County and situated on Geneva Lake, it is home to an estimated 8,105 people as of 2019, up from 7,651 at the 2010 census. It is located about 40 miles southwest of Mil ...

. Ryerson was a member of the

Lake Geneva Yacht Club Lake Geneva Yacht Club, ("LGYC") is a yacht club in Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, United States. History Founded in 1874, it is one of the oldest Inland Lake Yachting Association clubs. The General Philip H. Sheridan Race Regatta Trophy b ...

, where the Martin A. Ryerson Trophy is named in his honor.

Death and legacy

Ryerson died on August 11, 1932, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He was buried in the

Martin Ryerson Tomb The Martin Ryerson Tomb is an Egyptian Revival style mausoleum designed by Louis Sullivan and completed in 1889. It is in the historic Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, United States. History Martin L. Ryerson was a wealthy Chicago lumber ...

at the

Graceland Cemetery Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Ir ...

in Chicago, Illinois. At the time of his death, his estate was valued at $5 million, $3 million of which was invested in real estate. Upon his death, he bequeathed the entire sum to charities, family members and former employees. For example, his widow inherited one tenth, $500,000, as well as an annual income of $200,000. He also bequeathed $25,000 to

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

, $25,000 to

Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is s ...

, and $25,000 to the

Little Sisters of the Poor The Little Sisters of the Poor (french: Petites Sœurs des pauvres) is a Catholic religious institute for women. It was founded by Jeanne Jugan. Having felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns ...

. His art collection was donated to the Art Institute of Chicago. Edward W. Forbes served as the Martin A. Ryerson Professor in the Fine Arts at Harvard University from 1935 to 1944.

References

External links

Historic Collections: The Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Art institute of Chicago

The University of Chicago and Its Donors, 1889-1930, University of Chicago
Guide to the Martin A. Ryerson Papers 1877-1878
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryerson, Martin A. 1856 births 1932 deaths Businesspeople from Michigan People from Chicago Harvard Law School alumni American corporate directors Philanthropists from Illinois University of Chicago trustees American art collectors