John V. L. Pruyn
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John Van Schaick Lansing Pruyn (June 22, 1811 – November 21, 1877) was an American lawyer, businessman and politician from
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...
. His business ventures included banking and railroads, often in partnership with longtime friend
Erastus Corning Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany, New York, mayor of Alba ...
, who was the uncle of Pruyn's first wife. Pruyn served in state and federal legislative offices, and was most notable for his terms as a
United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
during the latter half of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
and the early days of
Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...
.


Early life

Pruyn was born in
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...
, on June 22, 1811, the son of David Pruyn and Hibertje Lansing Pruyn. His last name is pronounced to rhyme with "shine" and he was of Dutch descent, with Van Schaick, Lansing and Pruyn all being prominent Dutch family names in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
. Pruyn pursued classical studies and graduated from
The Albany Academy Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school in Albany, New York. It enrolls students from Prekindergaten (age 4) to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the cit ...
in 1826. He studied law with Albany attorney James King, was
admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in 1832, and commenced practice in Albany. In addition to practicing law, Pruyn was successful in several business ventures, often in partnership with
Erastus Corning Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany, New York, mayor of Alba ...
, who was the uncle of Pruyn's first wife. His business interests included the Albany City Bank, of which Pruyn was an incorporator and the longtime vice president. In addition, he helped organize the
New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...
system, and was one of its main shareholders.


Later career

Pruyn was elected a member of the Albany Institute in 1831, and served as president from 1857 until his death. He was appointed a
regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
of the
University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state governmental umbrella organization that oversees all educational institutions, including schools, libraries, and museums in New York State. It is governed by the Board of Regents. D ...
in 1844, and served as
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
from 1868 until his death. Pruyn was also a founding trustee of St. Stephen's College, which was later renamed
Bard College Bard College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains within the Hudson River Historic District ...
. In addition, he served on the New York State Board of Charities and on the commission that designed and built the
New York State Capitol The New York State Capitol, the seat of the Government of New York State, New York state government, is located in Albany, New York, Albany, the List of U.S. state capitals, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The seat ...
. Pruyn had the honor of laying the new capitol's first stone, which he did in an 1869 ceremony that included Governor
John T. Hoffman John Thompson Hoffman (January 10, 1828March 24, 1888) was the 23rd governor of New York (1869–72). He was also recorder of New York City (1861–65) and the 78th mayor of New York City (1866–68). Connections to the Tweed Ring ...
and other prominent dignitaries. Pruyn received the
honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
of
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
from
Rutgers College Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...
in 1835. He received an honorary
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
from
Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...
in 1845, and an honorary
LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
from the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
in 1852. Pruyn was a member of the
New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...
(13th D.) in
1862 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – Second French intervention in Mexico, French intervention in Mexico: Second French Empire, French, Spanish and British ...
and
1863 Events January * January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate States of America an official war goal. The signing ...
.


Congress

He was elected as a
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
to the
38th United States Congress The 38th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1863, ...
, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Erastus Corning, holding office from December 7, 1863, to March 3, 1865. Like Corning, Pruyn was a pro- Union Democrat who supported the war effort because he believed that states did not have the right to secede. Like many pro-Union Democrats, Pruyn also argued that in prosecuting the war,
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
's administration sometimes overstepped its authority with regard to individual liberties and civil rights. Pruyn was elected to the
40th United States Congress The 40th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867, ...
, holding office from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1869.


Later career

Afterwards he resumed his law practice and business interests. Pruyn was a stockholder in the
Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete most of the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in North Americ ...
and a director of the
Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
. In his 1867 to 1869 term he was revealed to be one of the members of Congress who had received stock in the Crédit Mobilier. During the subsequent scandal and investigation, his name appeared on lists of Congressmen who owned shares, but records showed he had paid for his stock. He was never accused of receiving it as a bribe, or of committing any wrongdoing.


Death and burial

Pruyn died in
Clifton Springs, New York Clifton Springs is a village located in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 2,127 at the 2010 census. The village takes its name from local mineral springs. The Village of Clifton Springs is located primarily in the To ...
, on November 21, 1877. He was buried at
Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical ...
in
Menands, New York Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 4,554 at the 2020 census. The village is named after Louis Menand. The village lies inside the town of Colonie and borders the northern city line of Albany. ...
.


Family

On October 22, 1840 Pruyn married Harriet Corning Turner (June 18, 1822 – March 22, 1859), the niece of
Erastus Corning Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany, New York, mayor of Alba ...
. They had six children, two of whom - Erastus Corning Pruyn and John V. L. Pruyn, Jr. - lived to adulthood. After the death of his first wife Pruyn married Anna Fenn Parker (March 26, 1840 – October 7, 1909), the daughter of Amasa J. Parker. They had two daughters, Harriet Langdon Pruyn and Huybertje (also spelled Huybertie or Hibertje) Lansing Pruyn. Erastus Corning Pruyn (August 24, 1841 – February 1, 1881) was an agent of the
United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
in
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, in the 1860s and traveled extensively as a student and businessman. He died in
Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...
. John V. L. Pruyn, Jr. (March 14, 1859 – September 22, 1904) graduated from
Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...
in 1880 and practiced law in Albany. Harriet Langdon Pruyn (January 31, 1868 – July 3, 1939) was the wife of William Gorham Rice. Rice was an aide to
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Samuel Tilden Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814 – August 4, 1886) was an American politician who served as the 25th governor of New York and was the Democratic nominee in the disputed 1876 United States presidential election. Tilden was born in 1814 i ...
and
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Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...
, and succeeded
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
as a member of the
United States Civil Service Commission The United States Civil Service Commission was a government agency of the federal government of the United States. It was created to select employees of federal government on merit rather than relationships. In 1979, it was dissolved as part of ...
. In addition to being active in Albany civic and philanthropic causes, Harriet Langdon Pruyn was the author of a biography, 1924'
''Harmanus Bleecker: an Albany Dutchman, 1779-1849''
(John V. L. Pruyn and Amasa J. Parker had been involved in the disposition of Bleecker's estate, which gave Harriet Pruyn access to Bleecker's papers.) Huybertje Lansing Pruyn (April 8, 1878—March 6, 1964) was the wife of
Charles Sumner Hamlin Charles Sumner Hamlin (August 30, 1861April 24, 1938) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the first chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1914 to 1916. He previously served as the United States assistant secretary of the treasury f ...
.New York Times, Obituary, Mrs. Charles Sumner Hamlin, March 8, 1964 She was the author of ''Memories of an Albany Girlhood'' (also published a
''An Albany Girlhood''
. Pruyn's extended family included cousin Robert H. Pruyn, a prominent lawyer, militia general, diplomat, and politician.


References


External links

* Retrieved on 2009-05-13 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pruyn, John V. L. 1811 births 1877 deaths American people of Dutch descent Politicians from Albany, New York New York (state) lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Democratic Party New York (state) state senators Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery Lawyers from Albany, New York The Albany Academy alumni 19th-century American lawyers Lansing family Pruyn family Corning family 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives