Robert Morrison Olyphant (September9, 1824May3, 1918) was an American businessman active in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in the late 19th century. He served as president of the

Delaware and Hudson Railroad The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP, which would it ...

for 20 years.

Life and career

Olyphant was born on September 9, 1824, in

Manhattan, New York City Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...

, to

David Olyphant David Washington Cincinnatus Olyphant (March7, 1789June10, 1851) was an American trader in the Far East and "the father of the American Mission to China". He was an elected member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) ...

and Ann Archer (McKenzie) Olyphant. After graduating from Columbia College in 1842, he entered his father's firm, Olyphant & Co., in 1842. Olyphant was named for the Scottish missionary Robert Morrison, who was a friend of his father from Canton (now

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

), China. Olyphant was in China between 18441845 and later, from 1858, reorganized Olyphant and Co. in Canton. He retired from the China trade in 1873. On his return from China, he was appointed to the board of managers of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company (later the

) and subsequently served as the company's assistant president and vice president followed by a twenty-year stint as president. He died on May 3, 1918, at his home at 160 West Fifty-ninth Street in

. Olyphant is the great-great-grandfather of actor

Timothy Olyphant Timothy David Olyphant ( ; born May 20, 1968) is an American actor. He made his acting debut in an off-Broadway theater in 1995, in ''The Monogamist'', and won the Theatre World Award for his performance, and then originated David Sedaris' '' ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Olyphant, Robert 1824 births 1918 deaths Businesspeople from Manhattan Robert Morrison American people of Scottish descent Columbia College (New York) alumni 19th-century American businesspeople