Name William Harkness Spouse Edith Hale | Education Yale University Resting place Woodlawn Cemetery | |
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Born August 8, 1858 Bellevue, Ohio
United States Residence New York City, Glen Cove, New York Occupation Business investor, Standard Oil Heir Children Louise H., William Hale Harkness Died May 10, 1919, New Hyde Park, New York, United States Parents Daniel M. Harkness, Stephen V. Harkness Similar People Stephen V Harkness, Lamon V Harkness, Edward Harkness, William Adams Delano | ||
William Lamon Harkness (August 8, 1858 – May 10, 1919) was an American businessman and inheritor of a large share of Standard Oil.
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Early life
William Lamon Harkness was born in Bellevue, Ohio, the son of Daniel M. Harkness, who was the half-brother of both Henry Flagler and Stephen V. Harkness, both founders of Standard Oil, and his wife Isabella Harkness. Upon his father Daniel's death in 1896, he inherited a large share in Standard Oil, a company in which his father had been an early shareholder. He is the also a cousin of noted philanthropist Edward Harkness who also benefitted from his father's involvement with Standard Oil.
Will attended Bellevue Public Schools in Bellevue, Ohio and The Brooks Military School in Cleveland. In 1881, Harkness graduated from Yale University.
Life
In 1896, he moved from Cleveland, Ohio to a home at 12 East 53rd Street in New York City. He also owned a country home, Dosoris, at Glen Cove on Long Island. A yachtsman and sportsman, he was a member of The Union Club of Cleveland, the New York Yacht Club, the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and Piping Rock Club.
Philanthropy
Shortly before his death, Harkness donated $400,000 to Yale University. The William L. Harkness Hall at Yale University was completed in 1927 as the gift of Mr. W.L. Harkness, B.A. 1881, and his family. It is a Collegiate Gothic building of Aquia sandstone with Ohio sandstone trim and contains offices and lecture & recitation rooms for the French, German, and Music departments. William Adams Delano was the architect.
Personal life
Harkness was married to Edith Hale (1863–1947), daughter of Edwin B. Hale, a prominent banker from Cleveland. Together, they were the parents of:
WIlliam L. Harkness died in New York City in 1919 and was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York. He left an estate of $53,439,437, which would be approximately $740 Million in today's dollars, of which $37,272,254 was stock in Standard Oil. He left half of his estate including his houses at 12 West 53rd in New York and Dosoris at Glen Cove, NY to his wife Edith Hale Harkness. The remaining half was divided between his daughter Louise Hale Harkness and his son William Hale Harkness.