Levi P. Morton

Morton was born in Shoreham, Vermont, on May 16, 1824, one of six children born to the Reverend Daniel Oliver Morton, a Congregational minister, and Lucretia Parsons. Morton was of entirely English ancestry, all of his immigrant ancestors came to North America from England during the Puritan migration to New England. His paternal ancestors included Captain Nathaniel Morton of Plymouth Colony. Morton was named for his mother's brother Reverend Levi Parsons (1792–1822), a clergyman who was also the first U.S. missionary to work in Palestine. His older brother, Daniel Oliver Morton, served as the Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, from 1849 to 1850. His younger sister, Mary Morton, was married to William F. Grinnell, and was the mother of William Morton Grinnell, who served as the Third Assistant Secretary of State while Morton was vice president. Morton's family moved to Springfield, Vermont, in 1832, when his father became the minister of the Congregational church there. Rev. Morton headed the congregation during the construction of the brick colonial revival-style church on Main Street that is still in use. Levi Morton was considered by his Springfield peers to be a "leader in all affairs in which schoolboys usually engage." ==Career==

Businessman Morton decided on a business career, and in 1838 he began work as a general store clerk in Enfield, Massachusetts. Guaranty Trust Company, Washington Life Insurance Company, Home Insurance Company, and Equitable Life Assurance Society. In addition, he was an investor in numerous ventures, including the Rio Grande, Sierra Madre & Pacific Railway, Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company, and Intercontinental Rubber Company. Morton also maintained a farm on his estate, where he raised prizewinning horses and cattle. In 1909, Morton received an offer from J. P. Morgan to merge the Morton company with the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company. He accepted, after which he retired from most business pursuits. Civic leader Morton was involved in many civic and charitable causes. In 1883, he was one of the founders of the Metropolitan Opera. In 1886, he was appointed to the Hobart College board of trustees. He served for several years, including a term as chairman of the board. Member of Congress photo, Identified with the Stalwart faction of Republicans led by Roscoe Conkling, in 1878 Morton was elected to represent Manhattan in the 46th Congress. On the currency issue, which dominated discussions of U.S. economic policy for several decades, Morton consistently advocated for the gold standard. James A. Garfield, who was not affiliated with either faction, but was a friend of Blaine, won the nomination U.S. Senate candidate photo, 1882 After returning to the United States, Morton was a candidate for U.S. Senator in 1885. A third candidate, Frank Hiscock, was not affiliated with either faction and had little initial support. After 17 ballots failed to produce a nominee, Morton withdrew and asked his supporters to back Hiscock to ensure that Miller would not be reelected. Hiscock was chosen on the 18th ballot, and won the election by defeating Democrat Smith Mead Weed. ==Vice presidency (1889–1893)==

At the 1888 Republican National Convention, Republicans nominated Benjamin Harrison for president. Though he had been an opponent of the Stalwarts, Former senator Warner Miller, a member of the New York delegation, nominated Morton. Harrison and Morton took office on March 4, 1889, and served until March 4, 1893. Harrison and Reid went on to lose the 1892 election to Democratic nominees Grover Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson. ==Post-vice presidency (1893–1920)==

Governor of New York (1895–1896) In 1894, Morton was elected governor of New York, defeating Democratic nominee David B. Hill and several minor party candidates. After he completed his term as governor, Morton returned to his business career and management of his investments. He was also a member of the General Society of Colonial Wars. He was preceded in that office by J. Pierpont Morgan and succeeded by Frank Knight Sturgis Morton became ill during the winter of 1919 to 1920; a cold developed into bronchitis, and he eventually contracted pneumonia, which proved fatal. He died in Rhinebeck, New York, on May 16, 1920, his 96th birthday. After a memorial service at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, he was interred at Rhinebeck Cemetery. At age 96, Morton was the longest living vice president of the United States until John Nance Garner, who died at age 98, surpassed him in 1964. ==Personal life==

On October 15, 1856, Morton married Lucy Young Kimball, the daughter of Elijah Huntingdon Kimball and Sarah Wetmore Hinsdale, in Flatlands, Brooklyn. They had one child, daughter Carrie, who died in infancy in 1857. After his first wife's death in 1871, Morton married Anna Livingston Reade Street in 1873. They were the parents of five daughters and a son who died in infancy. • Edith Livingston Morton (1874–1964), who married William Corcoran Eustis (1862–1921) in 1900. • Lena Kearney Morton (1875–1904). • Helen Stuyvesant Morton (1876–1952), who married the Duke of Valençay, a son of Boson de Talleyrand-Périgord. They divorced in 1904, after three years of marriage. • Lewis Parsons Morton (1877–1878). • Alice Morton (1879–1917), who married Winthrop Rutherfurd, a son of Lewis Morris Rutherfurd, • Mary Morton (1881–1932), who adopted two children, Lewis Peter Morton and Mirian Morton. In 1902, Alice Morton founded Holiday Farm, a convalescent home for children. Children who attended were picked up at Grand Central Station and brought to the farm in Rhinebeck. Train fare, board and clothing were provided free. In 1917, Vincent Astor served as president, with Helen Dinsmore Huntington as secretary. Holiday Farm later developed into the Astor Home for Children. ==Honors==

In 1881, Morton received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Dartmouth College. As an honorary alumnus, Morton frequently attended Dartmouth alumni gatherings in New York. ==Legacy==

The Mortons lived at Ellerslie, an estate near Rhinecliff, New York. The manor home no longer exists, but several outbuildings survive as a local historic site. Anna L. and Levi Morton erected the Morton Memorial Library in Rhinecliff in memory of their daughter Lena. It was dedicated in 1908 and is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. He received the honor after he provided the financing necessary for the railway to expand its operations into Michigan and Wisconsin beginning in the 1870s. The home is now owned by Salve Regina University and houses the Pell Center of International Relations and Public Policy. The college used the home until 1900, when it was torn down to make way for the school's Webster Hall. In addition, he endowed scholarships at Middlebury College, one in honor of Daniel Morton and another in honor of Levi Parsons. Morton also owned a summer retreat on Eagle Island on Upper Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park. The home's design, created by architect William L. Coulter, was done in the Great Camps style. The Morton bust was sculpted by Francis Edwin Elwell and was placed on display in 1891. The painting was created by Albany, New York, artist George Hughes (1863–1932) in 1896 and was presented to the state in 1900. ==See also==