# Clement Griscom > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Clement_Griscom > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Clement_Griscom.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Griscom > Source revision: 1330837079 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American shipping magnate and financier}} thumb|right|250px|Clement Acton Griscom by {{ill|Fedor Encke|de|Fedor Encke}} painted in 1899. '''Clement Acton Griscom''' (March 15, 1841 – November 10, 1912) was an American shipping magnate and financier. Griscom was "without question, the key figure in American transatlantic shipping" by 1900. ==Biography== Griscom was born in 1841 to a long-established and prominent [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia) family.Navin, Thomas R., and Marian V. Sears. “A Study in Merger: Formation of the International Mercantile Marine Company.” The Business History Review, vol. 28, no. 4, 1954, pp. 291–328. His father was Dr John D Griscom, a well-known local physician, and his mother was Margaret Acton Lloyd, a direct descendant of [Thomas Lloyd](/source/Thomas_Lloyd_(lieutenant_governor)).State And Regional: A Biographical Album Of Prominent Pennsylvanians Non Multa, Sed Multum Add to My Folder Vol. 3. Philadelphia : The American Biographical Publishing Company, 1888. 481 pp. He attended local Quaker schools, as well as [Central High School](/source/Central_High_School_(Philadelphia)).Wright, Edward Needles. “THE STORY OF PETER WRIGHT & SONS PHILADELPHIA QUAKER SHIPPING FIRM 1818-1911.” Quaker History, vol. 56, no. 2, 1967, pp. 67–89. In 1857, aged 16, he went to work as a clerk at Peter Wright and Sons, a Quaker shipping firm in Philadelphia. He became a partner in the business in 1863. In 1872 he became vice-president of the [International Navigation Co.](/source/International_Navigation_Co.), which operated three ships.Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 Nov 1912 Eventually the [Red Star Line](/source/Red_Star_Line) was absorbed into the business. In 1888 he was promoted to president of the International Navigation Co.Philadelphia County: Philadelphia A History Of The City And Its People Add to My Folder Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson, 1868-? Vol. 3. Philadelphia; Chicago : The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912. 526 pp. Griscom was "without question, the key figure in American transatlantic shipping" by 1900. By 1901 he was described in the press as a millionaire."A Cargo of Millionaires." New York Herald [European Edition], 28 June 1901, p. 5. In 1902, with financing from [J. Pierpont Morgan](/source/J._Pierpont_Morgan), the companies were merged into the [International Mercantile Marine](/source/International_Mercantile_Marine) shipping [trust company](/source/Trust_(19th_century)), which operated 136 vessels over five transatlantic lines.[https://www.nytimes.com/1912/11/11/archives/griscom-founder-of-ship-trust-dead-retired-financier-had-been-iii-i.html "Merger of the Steamship Lines"] New York Times, April 21, 1902. Griscom served as president of IMM from 1902 until 1904, when he retired due to ill health.Daily Telegraph. "Resignation of Mr. C. A. Griscom." New York Herald [European Edition], 25 Feb. 1904 He remained as chairman, but was succeeded as president by [J Bruce Ismay](/source/J_Bruce_Ismay), who immediately removed headquarters to [New York](/source/New_York_City) and reduced staffing levels. Griscom also served on the board of directors of the [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad) and [United States Steel](/source/United_States_Steel). [Dolobran](/source/Dolobran) (1881), his country house in [Haverford, Pennsylvania](/source/Haverford%2C_Pennsylvania), is one of architect [Frank Furness](/source/Frank_Furness)'s most significant houses. Furness also designed interiors for two of Griscom's American Line steamships, the S.S. ''St. Louis'' (1894–95) and the S.S. ''St. Paul'' (1894–95).George E. Thomas, et al. ''Frank Furness: The Complete Works'' (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1996 revised edition), p. 316. Griscom established and owned a private hunting plantation north of [Tallahassee, Florida](/source/Tallahassee%2C_Florida) called [Horseshoe Plantation](/source/Horseshoe_Plantation). ==Death and legacy== Griscom died of a [stroke](/source/stroke) at the age of 71. In 1914 his widow erected a fountain in his memory in the [Watch Hill](/source/Watch_Hill%2C_Rhode_Island) section of [Westerly, Rhode Island](/source/Westerly%2C_Rhode_Island). It featured a bronze statue of the [Niantic](/source/Niantic_(tribe)) chief [Ninigret](/source/Ninigret) by the sculptor [Enid Yandell](/source/Enid_Yandell).[http://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1358187NMX568.221539&profile=ariall&source=~!siartinventories&view=subscriptionsummary&uri=full=3100001~!320875~!31&ri=1&aspect=Keyword&menu=search&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=griscom&index=.GW&uindex=&aspect=Keyword&menu=search&ri=1#focus Ninigret statue] from SIRIS.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnakaplan/6949567005/ Ninigret photo] from Flickr. ==Family== Griscom married Frances Canby Biddle (1840-1923), from a prominent Philadelphia Quaker family, in 1862, and they had six children: *John Acton Griscom (1863-1865). *Helen Biddle Griscom (1866-1950), married (1889) Samuel Bettle. *Clement Acton Griscom Jr. (1868-1918), shipping executive, married (1889) Genevieve Sprigg Ludlow.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HHEeAQAAMAAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HHEeAQAAMAAJ/page/n735 733]|title=The Successful American|year=1902|publisher=Press Biographical Company|via=Internet Archive}} Their children were [Ludlow](/source/Ludlow_Griscom), Joyce, and Acton.{{cite book|last=Davis|first=William E. Jr.|title=Dean of the Birdwatchers: A Biography of Ludlow Griscom|year=1994|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=1-56098-310-8}} *Rodman Ellison Griscom (1870-1944), stockbroker, married (1897) Anne Starr. *[Lloyd Carpenter Griscom](/source/Lloyd_Carpenter_Griscom) (1872-1959), diplomat, married (1901) Elizabeth Duer Bronson. *[Frances C. "Pansy" Griscom](/source/Frances_C._Griscom) (1879-1974), champion golfer. ==Gallery== File:Clement A Griscom.jpg|Clement Griscom, 1890s. File:Mother and Daughter Cecilia Beaux 1898 PAFA.jpg|''Mother and Daughter'' (Mrs. Clement Griscom and Frances C. Griscom) (1898) by [Cecilia Beaux](/source/Cecilia_Beaux). File:Helen Biddle Griscom by Cecilia Beaux 1893.jpeg|''Helen Biddle Griscom'' (1893) by [Cecilia Beaux](/source/Cecilia_Beaux). File:Dolobran Montco PA 03.JPG|[Dolobran](/source/Dolobran), [Haverford, Pennsylvania](/source/Haverford%2C_Pennsylvania) (1881), [Frank Furness](/source/Frank_Furness), architect. File:Horseshoe Plantation rc19240.jpg|"[Horseshoe Plantation](/source/Horseshoe_Plantation)," Leon County, Florida. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.mikehelms.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I541&tree=helms New York Times obituary, November 11, 1912] *[http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%206/New%20York%20NY%20Tribune/New%20York%20NY%20Tribune%201912%20Nov%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Tribune%201912%20Nov%20Grayscale%20-%200266.pdf New York Tribune obituary, November 11, 1912] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20170116082358/http://www.atlantictransportline.us/content/immc.htm Atlantic Transport Line] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130623082444/http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_shiplist.asp?co=amlin Norway Heritage] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Griscom, Clement}} Category:American businesspeople in shipping Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia Category:American Quakers Category:1841 births Category:1912 deaths Category:People from Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania Category:Members of the Philadelphia Club Category:Central High School (Philadelphia) alumni Category:19th-century American businesspeople --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Clement Griscom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Griscom) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Griscom?action=history)). 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