Stephen Girard - a financial genius

[marydankanis]

There's a very interesting article in today's Inquirer (Sunday, Sept. 2nd) on Stephen Girard and his many contributions to the City and to the Country. He was a millionaire before the term existed. In todays dollars, he would be worth $50 billion. When the United States went to war with Britian a second time, he financed more than half of the $16 million needed.

He gave massively to the City of Philadelphia with a stipulation that some of the money be spent on Delaware Avenue to maintain Philadelphia's image as a world class seaport.

What the article does not mention is that we have some of Stephen Girard's homes right here in Northern Oiberties - the lovely, stately homes in the 500 block of Fairmount Avenue were built by him - and remain intact today.

Anyhow, I just thought you'd like to know.

Mary Dankanis

[mitchdeighan]

Stephen Girard

[seanmhair]

Does the article mention what a racist he was?

[Positively4thStreet]

Does the article mention what a racist he was?

It might. Maybe you should read the article and otherwise educate yourself before you make any more idiotic uninformed comments. Just a suggestion.

[2ndOlive]

Link to the article Mary mentioned above:
http://articles.philly.com/2012-09-02/n ... son-wildes

Once the civil rights battles began over the will, Katz said, "it was essential to cast Girard as a racist . . . and that moniker does not get shaken loose, if at all, without a lot of effort, and no one is making that effort right now."

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling of 1968, Owen Gowans was in the initial group of four African Americans to enroll at Girard College. Today, the 51-year-old SEPTA employee is adamant that Girard, a slave owner, needs to be seen "as a contemporary of his time."

"He was an amazing man and what he did for the United States was amazing," Gowans said. "He was the Bill Gates of his time."

More reading:
http://www.girardweb.com/girard/chapter1.htm

A myth persists that the foundation of Girard's wealth involved two million dollars he supposedly swindled from Toussaint L'Ouverture during the 1789-1802 slave uprisings in Saint-Domingue. The originator of the myth,[34] perpetuated by people claiming Girard to be a racist, claims that Toussaint gave Girard the money to purchase arms and ammunition that Girard never delivered and this money became the foundation of Girard's wealth. Although Le Cap, the major port in Saint-Domingue was among Girard's frequent trading ports, the swindle story is totally without fact and logically impossible.

[2ndOlive]

Apologies for back to back posts... Your message contains too many URLs. The maximum number of URLs allowed is 2.

http://articles.philly.com/1998-05-15/n ... ack-slaves

Probably the main reason for Girard's image as a racist was that he left the bulk of his fortune to found a school for ``poor male white orphans.''

The basis of this clause in his will dates back to the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Many children lost their parents. The Catholic Church had orphanages for Indians and girls and the Free African Society had provisions for black orphans. But there was no such organization for homeless white boys.

Girard petitioned the state to open such a home. The state turned him down because of lack of funds. For the rest of his life, Girard's mind was on these homeless white boys.

At the personal level, Girard took in his brother's black mistress and their child after the brother married another woman. The mistress and her daughter worked for Girard until his death. He bequeathed to each a pension of $500 ``on condition as favourable as they in regard to education, clothing and freedom.''

Girard's valet, Samuel Arthur, a black, witnessed Girard's will with his signature and was at Girard's deathbed.

[mitchdeighan]

2ndOlive ... Thank You for that excellent reporting!

[seanmhair]

Does the article mention what a racist he was?

It might. Maybe you should read the article and otherwise educate yourself before you make any more idiotic uninformed comments. Just a suggestion.

I'm so sorry I offended you with my basic yes or no question. It was so gracious of you to answer it with your demeaning and condescending attitude.
I know I didn't dream the riots that took place out there.
Maybe I would not be so "idiotic and uninformed" if instead of living it, I merely read about it, like you.
Or maybe if I attended Girard College..oh wait....that wouldn't have been possible either.
Again, so sorry. Did not mean to offend, although I'm not sure you could say the same thing.

http://northerncity.library.temple.edu/ ... rd-college

[Positively4thStreet]

Does the article mention what a racist he was?

It might. Maybe you should read the article and otherwise educate yourself before you make any more idiotic uninformed comments. Just a suggestion.

I'm so sorry I offended you with my basic yes or no question. It was so gracious of you to answer it with your demeaning and condescending attitude.
I know I didn't dream the riots that took place out there.
Maybe I would not be so "idiotic and uninformed" if instead of living it, I merely read about it, like you.
Or maybe if I attended Girard College..oh wait....that wouldn't have been possible either.
Again, so sorry. Did not mean to offend, although I'm not sure you could say the same thing.

http://northerncity.library.temple.edu/ ... rd-college

Your comment was irresponsible and lazy at best as indicated by every bit of research posted in this thread - even your own. If you were to do your googling prior to posting that comment, you could have saved more needless libel heaped upon the man.

What if I were to post, "Did the article mention that he was a pedophile?" Oh, of course *I* am not saying he was a pedophile. I am just wondering if the article stated anything about it.

Be more responsible before posting thoughtless garbage. You deserved the rebuke.

[seanmhair]

Again, sincerest apologies.
No wonder this board is so idle.
You're so hospitable.