James H. Roosevelt

James Henry Roosevelt (November 10, 1800 – November 30, 1863) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 philanthropist who, by bequest, founded Roosevelt Hospital in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. He was born in New York to Catherine (Byvanck) and James Christopher Roosevelt, a grandson of Jacobus Roosevelt, the founder of the Hyde Park

Hyde Park, New York

Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....

 branch of the Roosevelt family

Roosevelt family

In heraldry, canting arms are a visual or pictorial play on a surname, and were and still are a popular practice. It would be common to find roses, then, in arms of many Roosevelt families, even unrelated ones...

. James H. Roosevelt graduated from Columbia College in 1819 and studied law, but was unable to practice due to delicate health. He inherited a modest fortune and expanded it by prudent investments and simple living. He died in 1863, and his will left most of his estate, including property, to found Roosevelt Hospital, which was opened on November 2, 1871. On the tablet that is placed to his memory in Roosevelt Hospital is inscribed: “To the memory of James Henry Roosevelt, a true son of New York, the generous founder of this hospital, a man upright in his aims, simple in his life, and sublime in his benefaction.”

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