Augustus Schell (August 1, 1812 – March 27, 1884) was a New York politician and lawyer. He was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1872 to 1876.
Biography [edit]
Schell was born on August 1, 1812 in Rhinebeck, New York and was educated at Rhinebeck Academy and Wesleyan Seminary. He was graduated in 1830 from Union College with Phi Beta Kappa honors and membership in the Kappa Alpha Society, and then studied at Litchfield Law School. He was admitted to the bar and started a practice in New York City. He started out as an early expert in the then new field of corporate law and through his profession became active in railroad management. A friend of Cornelius Vanderbilt, he gradually expanded his railroad connections through investments as well as legal counsel.
An active Democrat, he joined Tammany Hall where, after William M. Tweed's fall, he succeeded August Belmont, Sr. as Grand Sachem in 1870.[1] He was head of the Democratic state committee 1853-1856. During the administration of President James Buchanan he was collector of the Port of New York. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee that supported John C. Breckinridge for the presidency in 1860 and also 1872-1876. After the trial of William M. Tweed and his associates, Schell labored for the purification and rehabilitation of the Tammany society, and in 1878 was its unsuccessful candidate for mayor.
He was a director in many railroad and financial corporations, and was active in the management of philanthropic institutions. Several of Schell's brothers were well-known business men of New York City. He died on March 27, 1884 from Bright's disease.[2]
Notes [edit]
- ^ The American Almanac, Year-Book, Encyclopædia and Atlas, 1904, p. 187
- ^ "Augustus Schell Dying". New York Times. March 23, 1884. Retrieved 2011-05-03. "Mr. Augustus Schell is seriously ill at his residence, No. 9 West Thirty-fourth-street. He has been a sufferer from a complication of diseases, of which Bright's disease is prominent, for several months."
References [edit]
- Bio from PictureHistory
Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds. (1900). "Schell, Augustus". Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by |
New York State Democratic Committee Chairman 1853 – 1856 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by August Belmont, Sr. |
Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall 1870 – 1876 |
Succeeded by Charles H. Haswell |
| Preceded by August Belmont, Sr. |
Democratic National Committee Chairman 1872 – 1876 |
Succeeded by Abram S. Hewitt |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Heman J. Redfield |
Collector of the Port of New York 1857 – 1861 |
Succeeded by Hiram Barney |
|
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