Robert C. Pruyn
Encyclopedia
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, was an influential American inventor, banker, businessman, and politician.
The Pruyn family of Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
was one of the oldest and most esteemed Dutch families in New York, and at the time of Robert's birth, had resided in Albany for over two centuries. At an early age, Pruyn traveled with his father, Robert H. Pruyn
Robert H. Pruyn
Robert Hewson Pruyn was an American lawyer, General, diplomat, and politician from Albany, New York.-Political, military, and diplomatic service:...
, to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he was serving as Minister to Japan
United States Ambassador to Japan
The United States Ambassador to Japan is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States to Japan. Since the opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period following the attack on...
. When he returned to the United States in 1865, he entered Rutgers College and graduated in 1869. He was also active in the state militia
New York Guard
The New York Guard is the State Defense Force of New York State. As of June 2008, the New York Guard, a recognized command under the New York State's Military law, has line-item funding in the state budget....
, rising to the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
In 1871, Pruyn went on to become president of the Embossing Company, one of the major toy manufacturers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was credited for five patents involving puzzles, dominoes, and building blocks. When John A. Dix
John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:...
became Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
in 1873, Pruyn became an aide on the Governor's staff, and was later appointed a member of the New York State Board of Regents.
Upon the appointment by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
of National Commercial Bank of Albany President Daniel Manning
Daniel Manning
Daniel Manning was an American businessman, journalist, and politician most notable for having served as the 37th United States Secretary of the Treasury....
as United States Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
, Pruyn was named the bank's President. His secretaries included Charles E. Adams
Charles E. Adams
Charles Edward Adams was an industrialist and a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.-Biography:...
and Frederick Baldwin Adams
Frederick Baldwin Adams
Frederick Baldwin Adams was an American businessman and philanthropist.Adams was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of a bank cashier. His father had moved to Ohio from New England. Frederick was sent east to attend St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, at the age of fourteen. From St. Paul's,...
. Pruyn and his staff became some of the more successful investors of the early twentieth century.
He held board memberships on eight major American companies and banks, and was also a member of various civic organizations. He also established the 13,000 acre (53 km²) Santanoni Preserve
Santanoni Preserve
-Further readings:* Robert Engel, Howard Kirschenbaum, Paul Malo. Santanoni: From Japanese Temple to Life at an Adirondack Great Camp. Keesville, NY: Adirondack Architectural Heritage, 2000....
in the Adirondack Mountains
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
upstate of New York, which is today a state park and National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. He was married to Anna Williams of Albany, and had three sons and one daughter, and died in 1934.