Harold I. Pratt
Encyclopedia
Harold Irving Pratt was an American oil industrialist and philanthropist
. A director of Standard Oil of New Jersey, he also served on the Council of Foreign Relations from 1923-1939.
and Mary Helen Richardson. His brothers were Frederic B. Pratt
, George Dupont Pratt
, Herbert L. Pratt
and John Teele Pratt
; he was half-brother to Charles Millard Pratt
.
Harold Pratt graduated from Amherst College
.
. Deeply interested in foreign affairs and issues dealing with global oil trade, he was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
from 1923–1939.
In terms of community activities, Pratt was president of the board of trustees of Brooklyn Hospital. After founding and endowing the Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn, he served as treasurer of the college.
Welwyn, the family mansion also designed by Delano & Aldrich, was built in 1913 at Glen Cove, Long Island
. The property is now owned and operated as the Nassau County Museum. The Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center is located there. The estate's 204 acre (0.82555944 km²) of grounds, called Welwyn Preserve, have significant botanical interest, with more than 30 species of trees and 100 species of birds and small animals inhabiting the area. This is part of the Atlantic Flyway
for migrating species. The property includes coastal areas, with saltwater marsh and habitat, and fresh water creek. In addition, the beach is unusually sandy, as Pratt had the stones removed that were characteristic of the North Shore.
In 1900 Pratt donated a new natatorium (swimming pool complex) to Amherst College.
Pratt's son, Harold Irving Pratt Jr., had his portrait painted by the artist John Singer Sargent
in 1924, when he was 20 years old. This artwork is now in the Museum of Fine Arts
, Boston
.
In World War II, a Liberty ship
, number 3044, the Harold I. Pratt, was named in the senior man's honor.
Harriet Pratt served on several White House
advisory committees on furnishings, from the Coolidge to the Truman
administrations. In 1925, she was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge
as chair of the first committee created to advise presidents and first ladies and make recommendations on White House acquisitions and decor. In 1941, through the concerted efforts of Mrs. Pratt, Eleanor Roosevelt
agreed to the establishment of the Subcommittee upon Furniture and Furnishings and Gifts for State Rooms of the White House to be placed under the United States Commission of Fine Arts
. Mrs. Pratt served as its chair and a member until 1947.
Children:
Pratt died at Glen Cove of pneumonia
, on 29 May 1939.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. A director of Standard Oil of New Jersey, he also served on the Council of Foreign Relations from 1923-1939.
Early life
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of oil industrialist Charles PrattCharles Pratt
Charles Pratt was a United States capitalist, businessman and philanthropist.Pratt was a pioneer of the U.S. petroleum industry, and established his kerosene refinery Astral Oil Works in Brooklyn, New York. An advertising slogan was "The holy lamps of Tibet are primed with Astral Oil." He...
and Mary Helen Richardson. His brothers were Frederic B. Pratt
Frederic B. Pratt
Frederic Bayley Pratt was the president of Brooklyn's Pratt Institute for 44 years, from 1893-1937.-Early life:He was born in Brooklyn NY, the son of Standard Oil magnate Charles Pratt and Mary Helen Richardson....
, George Dupont Pratt
George Dupont Pratt
George Dupont Pratt was an American conservationist, philanthropist, Boy Scout sponsor, big-game hunter and collector of ancient antiquities.-Early life:...
, Herbert L. Pratt
Herbert L. Pratt
Herbert Lee Pratt was an American businessman and a leading figure in the United States oil industry.- Early life :...
and John Teele Pratt
John Teele Pratt
John Teele Pratt was an American corporate attorney, philanthropist, music impresario, and financier.- Early life :...
; he was half-brother to Charles Millard Pratt
Charles Millard Pratt
Charles Millard Pratt was an American oil industrialist and philanthropist.-Early life:Pratt was born and raised in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, the eldest son of Charles Pratt and Lydia Ann Richardson....
.
Harold Pratt graduated from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
.
Career
Pratt became a director of Standard Oil of New Jersey, now ExxonMobilExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
. Deeply interested in foreign affairs and issues dealing with global oil trade, he was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
from 1923–1939.
In terms of community activities, Pratt was president of the board of trustees of Brooklyn Hospital. After founding and endowing the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn, he served as treasurer of the college.
Legacy and honors
In 1944, his widow, Harriet Barnes Pratt, donated the family's four-story mansion on the corner of 68th Street and Park Avenue to the CFR for use as its new headquarters. Named the Harold Pratt House, this continues to serve as the center for the CFR. The limestone-clad building was designed by Delano & Aldrich in the Beaux Arts style.Welwyn, the family mansion also designed by Delano & Aldrich, was built in 1913 at Glen Cove, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The property is now owned and operated as the Nassau County Museum. The Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center is located there. The estate's 204 acre (0.82555944 km²) of grounds, called Welwyn Preserve, have significant botanical interest, with more than 30 species of trees and 100 species of birds and small animals inhabiting the area. This is part of the Atlantic Flyway
Atlantic Flyway
The Atlantic Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains. The main endpoints of the flyway include the Canadian Maritimes and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in...
for migrating species. The property includes coastal areas, with saltwater marsh and habitat, and fresh water creek. In addition, the beach is unusually sandy, as Pratt had the stones removed that were characteristic of the North Shore.
In 1900 Pratt donated a new natatorium (swimming pool complex) to Amherst College.
Pratt's son, Harold Irving Pratt Jr., had his portrait painted by the artist John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury. During his career, he created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings...
in 1924, when he was 20 years old. This artwork is now in the Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
In World War II, a Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
, number 3044, the Harold I. Pratt, was named in the senior man's honor.
Marriage and family
Pratt married Harriet Barnes (1879–1969), a wealthy New York philanthropist, collector of Americana, and horticulturist.Harriet Pratt served on several White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
advisory committees on furnishings, from the Coolidge to the Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
administrations. In 1925, she was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
as chair of the first committee created to advise presidents and first ladies and make recommendations on White House acquisitions and decor. In 1941, through the concerted efforts of Mrs. Pratt, Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
agreed to the establishment of the Subcommittee upon Furniture and Furnishings and Gifts for State Rooms of the White House to be placed under the United States Commission of Fine Arts
United States Commission of Fine Arts
The United States Commission of Fine Arts , established in 1910 by an act of Congress, is an advisory agency of the Federal government.The CFA is mandated to review and provide advice on "matters of design and aesthetics", involving federal projects and planning in Washington, D.C...
. Mrs. Pratt served as its chair and a member until 1947.
Children:
- Harold Irving Pratt, Jr. (1904–1975)
Pratt died at Glen Cove of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, on 29 May 1939.
External links
- Harold Irving Pratt Jr.'s portrait, JSS Gallery