Robert Dollar
Encyclopedia
Captain Robert Dollar (1844—1932) was born in Falkirk
, Scotland. The title "Captain" was honorary and he was called the “Grand Old Man of the Pacific". Both were bestowed after his entry into the shipping industry. Dollar became a lumber baron, shipping magnate
, philanthropist; he was also a Freemason. His biography and an extensive introduction by him is contained within the book, "Men who are making the west 1923".
California Governor James Rolph, Jr. said at the time of his death, "Robert Dollar has done more in his lifetime to spread the American flag on the high seas than any man in this country." He made the cover of Time magazine on 19 March 1928, with several writings concerning his business', and was given a long obituary in the 23 May 1932, issue.
In 1861, Robert held his first real job as a logger. He had the task of driving the logs down the river to the mill. There were no roads so all travel was by water. Logging took place some distance from the mill, so running the logs could take about three months. In 1866, Robert began to keep a diary, which he continued until 1918; thus, he was able to write his memoirs in later years and tell the vivid tales of logging in Canada. For example, "The first three or four days I couldn't 'keep my feet' and spent more time in the water than out of it. But experience is the best teacher and I soon learned to stay on top of the logs." Dollar worked in logging camps in the forests of Canada and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
.
, to establish a lumber camp. Robert and Margaret were close companions, and Margaret accompanied her husband on most of his world trips. She told her granddaughters, "When you get married, never let your husband know he can get along without you." Robert once stated, "My real success began with my wedding day." According to one source:
, where Mary Grace and John Harold were born.
and finally in Northern California
.
In 1888, the family moved to San Rafael, California
, and Robert bought timberland and logging camps in Sonoma
, a mill and lumber business at Usal in Mendocino county
, and other places such as Oregon
and as far north as British Columbia
. Among his purchases was timberland known as "Dollar's Meeker tract." This section still had redwood
trees. A portion of this tract, located on the Russian River, was sold to the Bohemian Club of San Francisco and is now the Bohemian Grove
.
In 1906, Robert bought a Victorian style home in San Rafael and named it "Falkirk," after his birthplace in Scotland. He lived there until his death. He left the estate to his family and it was purchased by the community in 1975 for $250,000. The name Falkirk was retained as the Falkirk Cultural Center.
to markets down the coast. Thus began his entry into the shipping industry that included lumber, commodities, mail, and passengers. In the process he became a San Francisco shipping magnate who entered the lumber trade in Canada. In 1903, Robert and his three sons incorporated their interests into the Robert Dollar Company. In 1910, Dollar built an 11-story office building in San Francisco, headquarters of the Dollar Steamship Company, which was expanded in 1919. During the inter-war years, his freighters plied the Pacific and were a common sight from Canada to Canton
, San Francisco to Shanghai, and Tacoma to Tokyo.
In 1923, the purchase of seven "president" ships owned by the U.S. Government allowed Dollar, at the age of 80, to pioneer his successful round-the-world passenger service. Pacific Mails, a U.S. company going back to the 1850s with the Panama-California and trans-Pacific routes, was taken over by Dollar in 1925 that added 8 more ships, and he also signed a contract with Grace Steamship Company.
The death of the founder in 1932, coupled with the Great Depression
and the Pacific War
, headed the company into bankruptcy. In 1937, under the control of Robert Dollar’s sons, Dollar Lines was bankrupt. Back taxes could not be paid and in an agreement Stanley Dollar turned 93% of the voting common stock over to the Maritime Commission.
In 1945, Stanley Dollar filed a lawsuit to recover ownership of the line. The battle raged until 1950 when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Stanley Dollar. The government had other plans and did not return the company. There was a cash settlement as 7% was retaied by Stanley. In 1952, a group of investors, led by Ralph K. Davies, purchased the company for $18,000,000. Its name was shortened to APL in 1988. In 1997, APL merged with Singapore-based NOL
, and as of 2006, 68% of NOL was owned by Temasek Holdings
.
Robert Dollar had interests in China that included land, buildings, and wharves for his ships. The Dollar Steamship Line had offices in Alexandria, Egypt, Manila and Zamboanga, Philippines, Genoa, Italy, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, CA, Oakland, CA, and Portland, OR. The company had wharves on the West Coast at Bandon and Reedsport, OR, Seattle, WA, and Honolulu, HI; on the East Coast at Boston, MA, New York, NY, and Washington, D.C.; on the Great Lakes at Cleveland, OH, Toronto, ON; Chicago, Ill; in Asia, at Kobe and Yokahama, Japan, at Shanghai, Hankow, Tientsin, Yangtze River, Tayeh, and Wuchang, China; at Havana, Cuba, and at Naples, Italy,
The Dollar Steamship Line also owned tugboats such as the Superior and Dollarton, lumber barges such as the Dollar 1, Dollar Hulk No.1, and Dollar Vi, and motor launches such as the Stuart Dollar.
moved to San Anselmo in 1896. In 1917 Robert Dollar founded the Chair of the New Testament Interpretation with an endowment of $50,000 known as the Robert Dollar Chair.
In 1919 Lynn T. White, the minister of the First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael gave a sermon titled, "The Christian Attitude Toward the Organized Labor Movement in America". After the sermon the minister and Robert had several discussions and both agreed to disagree. Rev. White was astounded when Robert endowed the Margaret S. Dollar Chair of Christian Social Ethics and requested Rev. White be installed as the first professor. Dr. White held the professorship until he retired in 1948.
Mr. and Mrs. Dollar donated the 13 chime carillon
in 1922 that was placed in Montgomery Hall. They were moved to Geneva Hall in 1953. The SFTS news bulletin was renamed Chimes in 1937.
Dollar did continue to work until his final days.
The National Foreign Trade Council
presents an annual "Robert Dollar Award" to honour outstanding contributions to the foreign trade of the United States.
The community of Dollarville, Michigan
, where Dollar once worked as general manager of the logging camp, is named for him.
One of the Robert Dollar Lumber Company steam locomotives was restored by the Western Railway Museum
. Locomotive No. 3 operates on a regular basis at the Niles Canyon Railway
. This is a 2-6-2T (Tank) engine built by the American Locomotive Company
in 1927.
Robert Dollar's last public appearance was at the Commencement Exercises at the Theological Seminary. Although he was not feeling well, he insisted in walking in the academic procession and as President of the Board of Trustees gave a congratulatory message to the graduating class.
Robert Dollar developed bronchial pneumonia and died on 16 May 1932. Honorary pall bearers included the Governor of California and the Mayor of San Francisco. The U.S. Government sent a dirigible over the scene of the funeral, and flowers were dropped from the sky. Over 3,000 people were in attendance.
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, Scotland. The title "Captain" was honorary and he was called the “Grand Old Man of the Pacific". Both were bestowed after his entry into the shipping industry. Dollar became a lumber baron, shipping magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
, philanthropist; he was also a Freemason. His biography and an extensive introduction by him is contained within the book, "Men who are making the west 1923".
California Governor James Rolph, Jr. said at the time of his death, "Robert Dollar has done more in his lifetime to spread the American flag on the high seas than any man in this country." He made the cover of Time magazine on 19 March 1928, with several writings concerning his business', and was given a long obituary in the 23 May 1932, issue.
Childhood
He was born on 20 March 1844, to William Dollar and Mary Melville. He was the oldest of three boys that included brothers John and James. His mother died in 1853, and Robert dropped out of school and worked in a machine shop and then as an errand boy for a lumber shipping company to help support the family. After the death of Robert's mother, his father married a servant girl named Mary Easton, and in 1857 they had a daughter, also named Mary. Shortly afterwards, the family emigrated to Canada. Robert began working at a lumber camp as a cook's helper when he was 14 years old, and later found work in a barrel stave factory. He learned French, and worked his way up to doing the camp accounting.In 1861, Robert held his first real job as a logger. He had the task of driving the logs down the river to the mill. There were no roads so all travel was by water. Logging took place some distance from the mill, so running the logs could take about three months. In 1866, Robert began to keep a diary, which he continued until 1918; thus, he was able to write his memoirs in later years and tell the vivid tales of logging in Canada. For example, "The first three or four days I couldn't 'keep my feet' and spent more time in the water than out of it. But experience is the best teacher and I soon learned to stay on top of the logs." Dollar worked in logging camps in the forests of Canada and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
.
Family
Robert met Margaret S. Proudfoot in a Presbyterian Church, and they were married in 1874. This was during the time after he sustained a loss in his timber venture, was heavily in debt, and determined to pay off his share, which was $2500. For their honeymoon, he took his new bride, along with 18 men, to Bracebridge, OntarioBracebridge, Ontario
Bracebridge is a town and the seat of the Muskoka District Municipality of Ontario, Canada.The town was built around a waterfall on the Muskoka River in the centre of town, and is known for its other nearby waterfalls . It was first incorporated in 1875...
, to establish a lumber camp. Robert and Margaret were close companions, and Margaret accompanied her husband on most of his world trips. She told her granddaughters, "When you get married, never let your husband know he can get along without you." Robert once stated, "My real success began with my wedding day." According to one source:
She was a quiet person, but very determined to keep up with Robert's adventures. She took an airplane ride over Shanghai in 1927. Commenting on his constant search for new challenges, Margaret said, "Sometimes I think in the modem world of marvels, he will never be satisfied until he is the skipper of a round trip to Mars."
Children
The Dollars had four children: Alexander Melville and Robert Stanley were born in Bracebridge. The timber was playing out, so in 1885 the family moved to Marquette, MichiganMarquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
, where Mary Grace and John Harold were born.
Lumber baron
At age 22, Robert took over running a camp as Director of the English and American Lumber Company. His first venture into the lumber industry began when he bought a lumber camp, but it failed. This did not deter him, and, apparently learning from his mistakes, he bought other camps that were successful. He bought camps and timberland in Canada, then in the upper peninsula of MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and finally in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
In 1888, the family moved to San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, and Robert bought timberland and logging camps in Sonoma
Sonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
, a mill and lumber business at Usal in Mendocino county
Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
, and other places such as Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and as far north as British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Among his purchases was timberland known as "Dollar's Meeker tract." This section still had redwood
Redwood
-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
trees. A portion of this tract, located on the Russian River, was sold to the Bohemian Club of San Francisco and is now the Bohemian Grove
Bohemian Grove
Bohemian Grove is a campground located at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, in Monte Rio, California, belonging to a private San Francisco-based men's art club known as the Bohemian Club...
.
In 1906, Robert bought a Victorian style home in San Rafael and named it "Falkirk," after his birthplace in Scotland. He lived there until his death. He left the estate to his family and it was purchased by the community in 1975 for $250,000. The name Falkirk was retained as the Falkirk Cultural Center.
Shipping magnate
In 1895, he acquired his first vessel, a single steam schooner called Newsboy, to move his lumber from the Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
to markets down the coast. Thus began his entry into the shipping industry that included lumber, commodities, mail, and passengers. In the process he became a San Francisco shipping magnate who entered the lumber trade in Canada. In 1903, Robert and his three sons incorporated their interests into the Robert Dollar Company. In 1910, Dollar built an 11-story office building in San Francisco, headquarters of the Dollar Steamship Company, which was expanded in 1919. During the inter-war years, his freighters plied the Pacific and were a common sight from Canada to Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, San Francisco to Shanghai, and Tacoma to Tokyo.
In 1923, the purchase of seven "president" ships owned by the U.S. Government allowed Dollar, at the age of 80, to pioneer his successful round-the-world passenger service. Pacific Mails, a U.S. company going back to the 1850s with the Panama-California and trans-Pacific routes, was taken over by Dollar in 1925 that added 8 more ships, and he also signed a contract with Grace Steamship Company.
The death of the founder in 1932, coupled with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, headed the company into bankruptcy. In 1937, under the control of Robert Dollar’s sons, Dollar Lines was bankrupt. Back taxes could not be paid and in an agreement Stanley Dollar turned 93% of the voting common stock over to the Maritime Commission.
In 1945, Stanley Dollar filed a lawsuit to recover ownership of the line. The battle raged until 1950 when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Stanley Dollar. The government had other plans and did not return the company. There was a cash settlement as 7% was retaied by Stanley. In 1952, a group of investors, led by Ralph K. Davies, purchased the company for $18,000,000. Its name was shortened to APL in 1988. In 1997, APL merged with Singapore-based NOL
Neptune Orient Lines
Neptune Orient Lines Limited , is a Singapore-based global transport company with core businesses in container shipping and supply chain management...
, and as of 2006, 68% of NOL was owned by Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
.
Ship companies owned by Robert Dollar
- Dollar Steamship Line was founded by Robert Dollar. Control was assumed by the U.S. Shipping board and then APL.
- Dollar Line
- Admiral Oriental Line formed by H. F. Alexander was acquired in 1922 and renamed the American Mail Line
- Pacific Mail Steamship (SS) Company (Grace Line) was founded in 1848 by William Henry AspinwallWilliam Henry AspinwallWilliam Henry Aspinwall was an American businessman.In 1832, he became president of the Howland & Aspinwall merchant firm, which had been founded by his cousin and expanded trade to South America, China, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the East and West Indies. Howland & Aspinwall owned some of the...
and was taken over by Southern Pacific Railroad. Forced to sell by Congress the company was sold to Grace Line and taken over by Robert Dollar.
Pacific Mail (Grace Line) ships acquired by Dollar
- SS Mongolia
- SS Manchuria
- SS Korea
- SS Siberia
- SS China
- SS Persia
Ships owned by Dollar Shipping
The first ship was the Newsboy and others that were bought or built include those purchased as the President line.
|
|
President Line
|
USS Zeilin (APA-3) USS Zeilin was a that saw service with the United States Navy in World War II.- Commercial Service :The ship that would eventually be known as the USS Zeilin was constructed by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia as the Silver State under a U.S. Shipping... USS Manchuria (ID-1633) USS Manchuria was a transport ship for the United States Navy during World War I. Before the war she was known as SS Manchuria in civilian passenger service. In the interwar years she reverted to her original name but was later renamed SS President Johnson. During World War II, she served as a... |
Other divisions of the Robert Dollar company
- Dollar Portland Lumber Company
- Canadian Robert Dollar Co., Ltd
- Globe Wireless, Ltd.
- Egmont Timber Company
- Heitz and Kaufman
Robert Dollar had interests in China that included land, buildings, and wharves for his ships. The Dollar Steamship Line had offices in Alexandria, Egypt, Manila and Zamboanga, Philippines, Genoa, Italy, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, CA, Oakland, CA, and Portland, OR. The company had wharves on the West Coast at Bandon and Reedsport, OR, Seattle, WA, and Honolulu, HI; on the East Coast at Boston, MA, New York, NY, and Washington, D.C.; on the Great Lakes at Cleveland, OH, Toronto, ON; Chicago, Ill; in Asia, at Kobe and Yokahama, Japan, at Shanghai, Hankow, Tientsin, Yangtze River, Tayeh, and Wuchang, China; at Havana, Cuba, and at Naples, Italy,
The Dollar Steamship Line also owned tugboats such as the Superior and Dollarton, lumber barges such as the Dollar 1, Dollar Hulk No.1, and Dollar Vi, and motor launches such as the Stuart Dollar.
Busy man
History shows that Robert Dollar was a busy man. He not only built companies, bought companies, and travelled the world many times but also was involved in many other ventures. At times he was president of other companies, president of the Y.M.C.A., Ship Owner's Association, Theological Seminary, Merchant's Exchange, Douglas Fir Club, a director of Seaboard National Bank (his son took over), and then a director London Paris National Bank. He also served on the board of the San Rafael Park and Recreation Commission.Philanthropy
Robert Dollar gave to many causes, mostly involving religion, but some involved social and community endeavours.Sunny Hills Orphanage
Incorporated as the San Francisco Orphanage and Farm the name was changed to Sunny Hills Services in 2005. Robert Dollar and his wife were active in the orphanage and he provided funding to purchase land and dedication ceremonies were held on 10 February 1900. He had a school built on the property in 1902 and rebuilt after a fire in 1913. In 1920 gave 42 acres of pasture land as a Christmas gift. In 1922 a fire destroyed the main building and Robert and Mrs. Dollar donated the Dollar Dickson Memorial building in memory of their daughter who had died in 1921. In 1929 Robert built the Robert Dollar Home for Boys. Mrs. Robert Dollar was president form 1919 to 1923San Francisco Theological Seminary (San Anselmo)
The San Francisco Theological SeminarySan Francisco Theological Seminary
San Francisco Theological Seminary is a graduate school affiliated with Presbyterian Church located in San Anselmo, California. Founded in 1871, SFTS is a graduate theological institution that is focused on graduate theological education in the Reformed tradition...
moved to San Anselmo in 1896. In 1917 Robert Dollar founded the Chair of the New Testament Interpretation with an endowment of $50,000 known as the Robert Dollar Chair.
In 1919 Lynn T. White, the minister of the First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael gave a sermon titled, "The Christian Attitude Toward the Organized Labor Movement in America". After the sermon the minister and Robert had several discussions and both agreed to disagree. Rev. White was astounded when Robert endowed the Margaret S. Dollar Chair of Christian Social Ethics and requested Rev. White be installed as the first professor. Dr. White held the professorship until he retired in 1948.
Mr. and Mrs. Dollar donated the 13 chime carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
in 1922 that was placed in Montgomery Hall. They were moved to Geneva Hall in 1953. The SFTS news bulletin was renamed Chimes in 1937.
City of San Rafael
As a member of the San Rafael Park and Recreation Commission he donated 20 acres of land for Boyd Park in 1920. In 1923 he donated 11 more acres and other funding The Robert Dollar Scenic Drive was constructed from Boyd Park to the summit of San Rafael Hill.Other gifts
- He was President of the Y.M.C.A.YMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
and built buildings for the organisation in the Far East. - Founded a school for the blind in China.
- Built a public library in FalkirkFalkirkFalkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, Scotland.
Legacy
After Captain Dollar turned eighty, the newspaper reporters began to ask him when he planned to retire. He replied:It would have been nothing short of a crime for me to have retired when I reached the age of sixty, because I have accomplished far more the last twenty years of my life than I did before I reached my sixtieth birthday ... I was put in this world for a purpose and that was not to loaf and spend my time in so-called pleasure ... I was eighty years old when I thought out the practicability of starting a passenger steamship line of eight steamers to run around the world in one direction ... I hope to continue working to my last day on earth and wake up the next morning in the other world.
Dollar did continue to work until his final days.
The National Foreign Trade Council
National Foreign Trade Council
Founded in 1914, the National Foreign Trade Council is the oldest and largest trade association advocating an open, rules-based international trade system. It serves hundreds of member companies in activities encompassing international trade policy, international tax policy, human resources, and...
presents an annual "Robert Dollar Award" to honour outstanding contributions to the foreign trade of the United States.
The community of Dollarville, Michigan
Dollarville, Michigan
Dollarville is an unincorporated community in McMillan Township, Luce County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is just west of the village of Newberry and north of the M-28/M-117 intersection....
, where Dollar once worked as general manager of the logging camp, is named for him.
One of the Robert Dollar Lumber Company steam locomotives was restored by the Western Railway Museum
Western Railway Museum
The Western Railway Museum, in Solano County, California is located on Highway 12 between Rio Vista and Suisun. The museum is built along the former mainline of theSacramento Northern Railway...
. Locomotive No. 3 operates on a regular basis at the Niles Canyon Railway
Niles Canyon Railway
The Niles Canyon Railway is a heritage railway running through Niles Canyon, between Sunol and the Niles district of Fremont in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, USA. The railway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Niles Canyon Transcontinental...
. This is a 2-6-2T (Tank) engine built by the American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
in 1927.
Death
Robert Dollar had a good idea concerning life and death. He wrote:In this world all we leave behind us that is worth anything is that we can be well regarded and spoken of after we are gone, and that we can say that we left the world just a little better than we found it. If we can't accomplish these two things then life, according to my view, has been a failure. Many people erroneously speak of a man when he is gone as having left so much money. That, according to my view, amounts to very little.
Robert Dollar's last public appearance was at the Commencement Exercises at the Theological Seminary. Although he was not feeling well, he insisted in walking in the academic procession and as President of the Board of Trustees gave a congratulatory message to the graduating class.
Robert Dollar developed bronchial pneumonia and died on 16 May 1932. Honorary pall bearers included the Governor of California and the Mayor of San Francisco. The U.S. Government sent a dirigible over the scene of the funeral, and flowers were dropped from the sky. Over 3,000 people were in attendance.
Robert Stanley Dollar
Robert, who had been active in his father's business for years, and was at the helm when the shipping company was transferred to the U.S. Shipping board, became the president of the United States Line that was formed by Roosevelt SS Co., R. Stanley Dollar and Kenneth D. Dawson. The International Mercantile Marine Company gained control of the company in 1934.Further reading
- "History – Robert Dollar, 1844–1932", APL History
- "What Robert Dollar Gave to Marin", Marin History Museum
- Dollar Steamship Company / Dollar Line, The Ships List
External links
- Guide to the Robert Dollar Papers at The Bancroft Library