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[[File:Portrait of Augustus Lowell.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Augustus Lowell]]
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'''Augustus Lowell''' (January 15, 1830 – 1900) was a businessman and philanthropist from [[Massachusetts]]. He was born in [[Boston]] to [[John Amory Lowell]] and his second wife Elizabeth Cabot Putnam. His great-grandfather, [[John Lowell]], was among the first Judges for the newly created federal courts, appointed by Presidents [[George Washington]] and [[John Adams]]. Augustus' elder brother, [[Judge John Lowell]], would be appointed to hold the same seats held by their great-grandfather, by Presidents [[Abraham Lincoln]] and [[Rutherford Hayes]].

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'''Augustus Lowell''' (January 15, 1830 – June 22, 1900) was a wealthy Massachusetts industrialist, philanthropist, horticulturist, and civic leader. A member of the [[Boston Brahmin|Brahmin]] [[Lowell family]], he was born in [[Boston]] to [[John Amory Lowell]] and his second wife Elizabeth Cabot Putnam. His great-grandfather, [[John Lowell]], was among the first Judges for the newly created federal courts, appointed by Presidents [[George Washington]] and [[John Adams]]. Augustus' elder brother, [[John Lowell (judge, 1865–1884)|Judge John Lowell]], would be appointed to hold the same seats held by their great-grandfather, by Presidents [[Abraham Lincoln]] and [[Rutherford Hayes]].


==Family==
==Family==
{{multiple image
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Lowell was amongst the fifth generation in his family to graduate from [[Harvard College]], class of 1850. On June 1, 1854 he married Katherine Bigelow Lawrence, the daughter of Hon. [[Abbott Lawrence]]. Both Augustus and Katherine Lawrence Lowell were able to trace their ancestry back through the earliest colonial settlers and founders of New England, in the mid 17th century, and even further back to notable English families of the 12th and 13th centuries.
| total_width = 320
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| image1 = Augustus Lowell's prayer book.jpg
| caption1 = Lowell's copy of the [[Book of Common Prayer (Unitarian)|King's Chapel ''Book of Common Prayer'']]
| image2 = Coat of Arms of Percival Lowell.svg
| caption2 = Lowell's coat of arms
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}}
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Lowell was amongst the fifth generation in his family to graduate from [[Harvard College]], class of 1850. On June 1, 1854, he married Katherine Bigelow Lawrence (February 21, 1832 - April 1, 1895), the daughter of Hon. [[Abbott Lawrence]]. Both Augustus and Katherine were able to trace their ancestry back through the earliest colonial settlers and founders of New England, in the mid-17th century, and even further back to notable English families of the 12th and 13th centuries.{{cn|date=February 2024}}


Augustus and Katherine Lowell had seven children and thus named their 10 acre, [[Brookline, Massachusetts]] estate, ''Sevenels''. The Lowells lost two of their children during infancy but their surviving children went on to great public prominence. Eldest son [[Percival Lowell]] wrote several books on the Far East and on the planet Mars, and founded the [[Lowell Observatory]] in [[Flagstaff, Arizona]]. Their second son, [[Abbott Lawrence Lowell]], succeeded Augustus as Trustee at the [[Lowell Institute]] in 1900, and became President of Harvard College in 1909, serving in that capacity until 1933. One of their daughters, Katharine Lowell, married (1) James Alfred Roosevelt, of the Long Island clan, and (2) T. James Bowlker, a Boston cotton mill owner. And their youngest daughter, [[Amy Lowell]], 20 years younger than her brothers, would become the second celebrated poet in the Lowell family (Greenslet 1946)<ref>[[Ferris Greenslet|Greenslet, Ferris]]. (1946) ''The Lowells and Their Seven Worlds,'' Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0897602633.</ref>.
Augustus and Katherine Lowell had seven children and thus named their {{convert|10|acre|m2|adj=on}}, [[Brookline, Massachusetts]], estate, ''Sevenels''. The Lowells lost two of their children during infancy but their surviving children went on to great public prominence. Eldest son [[Percival Lowell]] wrote several books on the Far East and on the planet Mars, and founded the [[Lowell Observatory]] in [[Flagstaff, Arizona]]. Their second son, [[Abbott Lawrence Lowell]], succeeded Augustus as Trustee at the [[Lowell Institute]] in 1900, and became President of Harvard College in 1909, serving in that capacity until 1933. One of their daughters, Katharine Lowell, married (1) James Alfred Roosevelt, of the Long Island clan, and (2) T. James Bowlker, a Boston cotton mill owner. Another daughter, [[Elizabeth Lowell Putnam]], was a prominent activist for prenatal care. And their youngest daughter, [[Amy Lowell]], 20 years younger than her brothers, would become the second celebrated poet in the Lowell family.<ref>[[Ferris Greenslet|Greenslet, Ferris]]. (1946) ''The Lowells and Their Seven Worlds,'' Boston: Houghton Mifflin. {{ISBN|0-89760-263-3}}.</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
[[File:Augustus Lowell 2016 111.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Auburn Cemetery]], Augustus Lowell gravesite]]
Augustus was Treasurer of the Merrimack Manufacturing Company, a textile mill in [[Lowell, Massachusetts]], for much of his early career. In 1875, he became Treasurer of The Boott Cotton Mill, also in Lowell. And in 1883, he was Director of The Winnipiseogee Lake Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company. All were positions his father, John Amory, had once held within the same companies<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15925/15925-h/15925-h.htm#h2H_4_0006 ''Bay State Monthly, Vol. I, No. 3, March, 1884'']</ref>. He was also, as of 1878, a director of the [[Pacific Mills]] in [[Lawrence, Massachusetts]], the largest textile combine of its time.<ref>Quarter-centennial history of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors, the board of may [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Wadsworth, H. A.. Quarter-centennial history of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors, the board of mayor and aldermen for the present year, other leading officials, and a representation of business and professional men. Lawrence, Mass.: H. Reed, Lawrence Eagle Steam Job Print. Office, 1878, page 96.</ref>
Augustus was Treasurer of the [[Merrimack Manufacturing Company]], a [[textile mill]] in [[Lowell, Massachusetts]], for much of his early career. In 1875, he became Treasurer of the [[Boott Cotton Mills]], also in Lowell. And in 1883, he was Director of The Winnipiseogee Lake Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company. All were positions his father, John Amory, had once held within the same companies.<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15925/15925-h/15925-h.htm#h2H_4_0006 ''Bay State Monthly, Vol. I, No. 3, March, 1884'']</ref> He was also, as of 1878, a director of the [[Pacific Mills]] in [[Lawrence, Massachusetts]], the largest textile combine of its time.<ref>Quarter-centennial history of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors, the board of may [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Wadsworth, H. A.. Quarter-centennial history of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors, the board of mayor and aldermen for the present year, other leading officials, and a representation of business and professional men. Lawrence, Mass.: H. Reed, Lawrence Eagle Steam Job Print. Office, 1878, page 96.</ref>


Lowell was also a member of the Corporation of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] and Vice President of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]. In 1881, Augustus was appointed as the sole Trustee of the Lowell Institute, upon his fathers death (Lowell 1899, pp 118-119)<ref>[[Delmar R. Lowell|Lowell, Delmar]]. (1899) ''The Historic Genealogy of the Lowells of America from 1639 to 1899,'' Rutland VT: The Tuttle Company. ISBN 9780788415678.</ref>, a position he would hold for the last 20 years of his life.
Lowell was also a member of the Corporation of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] and Vice President of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]. In 1881, Augustus was appointed as the sole Trustee of the Lowell Institute, upon his father's death (Lowell 1899, pp 118–119),<ref>[[Delmar R. Lowell|Lowell, Delmar]]. (1899) ''The Historic Genealogy of the Lowells of America from 1639 to 1899,'' Rutland VT: The Tuttle Company. {{ISBN|978-0-7884-1567-8}}.</ref> a position he would hold for the last 20 years of his life.


== See also ==
== See also ==
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<references/>


==External links==
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*{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Augustus Lowell |sopt=t}}

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{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
{{succession box |
before=[[John Amory Lowell]]|
before=[[John Amory Lowell]]|
title=[[List of Trustees of Lowell Institute|Trustee of Lowell Institute]]|
title=[[List of trustees of the Lowell Institute|Trustee of Lowell Institute]]|
years=1881&ndash;1900|
years=1881&ndash;1900|
after=[[A. Lawrence Lowell]]
after=[[A. Lawrence Lowell]]
}}
}}
{{end box}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
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| NAME = Lowell, Augustus
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American philanthropist
| DATE OF BIRTH = January 15, 1830
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], [[United States]]
| DATE OF DEATH = 1900
| PLACE OF DEATH =
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}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowell, Augustus}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowell, Augustus}}
[[Category:1830 births]]
[[Category:1830 births]]
[[Category:1900 deaths]]
[[Category:1900 deaths]]
[[Category:American philanthropists]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Massachusetts philanthropists]]
[[Category:Harvard College alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Boston]]
[[Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery]]
[[Category:19th-century American philanthropists]]
[[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]

Latest revision as of 14:50, 9 October 2024

Augustus Lowell

Augustus Lowell (January 15, 1830 – June 22, 1900) was a wealthy Massachusetts industrialist, philanthropist, horticulturist, and civic leader. A member of the Brahmin Lowell family, he was born in Boston to John Amory Lowell and his second wife Elizabeth Cabot Putnam. His great-grandfather, John Lowell, was among the first Judges for the newly created federal courts, appointed by Presidents George Washington and John Adams. Augustus' elder brother, Judge John Lowell, would be appointed to hold the same seats held by their great-grandfather, by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Rutherford Hayes.

Family

[edit]
Lowell's copy of the King's Chapel Book of Common Prayer
Lowell's coat of arms

Lowell was amongst the fifth generation in his family to graduate from Harvard College, class of 1850. On June 1, 1854, he married Katherine Bigelow Lawrence (February 21, 1832 - April 1, 1895), the daughter of Hon. Abbott Lawrence. Both Augustus and Katherine were able to trace their ancestry back through the earliest colonial settlers and founders of New England, in the mid-17th century, and even further back to notable English families of the 12th and 13th centuries.[citation needed]

Augustus and Katherine Lowell had seven children and thus named their 10-acre (40,000 m2), Brookline, Massachusetts, estate, Sevenels. The Lowells lost two of their children during infancy but their surviving children went on to great public prominence. Eldest son Percival Lowell wrote several books on the Far East and on the planet Mars, and founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Their second son, Abbott Lawrence Lowell, succeeded Augustus as Trustee at the Lowell Institute in 1900, and became President of Harvard College in 1909, serving in that capacity until 1933. One of their daughters, Katharine Lowell, married (1) James Alfred Roosevelt, of the Long Island clan, and (2) T. James Bowlker, a Boston cotton mill owner. Another daughter, Elizabeth Lowell Putnam, was a prominent activist for prenatal care. And their youngest daughter, Amy Lowell, 20 years younger than her brothers, would become the second celebrated poet in the Lowell family.[1]

Career

[edit]
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Augustus Lowell gravesite

Augustus was Treasurer of the Merrimack Manufacturing Company, a textile mill in Lowell, Massachusetts, for much of his early career. In 1875, he became Treasurer of the Boott Cotton Mills, also in Lowell. And in 1883, he was Director of The Winnipiseogee Lake Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company. All were positions his father, John Amory, had once held within the same companies.[2] He was also, as of 1878, a director of the Pacific Mills in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the largest textile combine of its time.[3]

Lowell was also a member of the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Vice President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1881, Augustus was appointed as the sole Trustee of the Lowell Institute, upon his father's death (Lowell 1899, pp 118–119),[4] a position he would hold for the last 20 years of his life.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Greenslet, Ferris. (1946) The Lowells and Their Seven Worlds, Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-89760-263-3.
  2. ^ Bay State Monthly, Vol. I, No. 3, March, 1884
  3. ^ Quarter-centennial history of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors, the board of may [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Wadsworth, H. A.. Quarter-centennial history of Lawrence, Massachusetts : with portraits and biographical sketches of ex-mayors, the board of mayor and aldermen for the present year, other leading officials, and a representation of business and professional men. Lawrence, Mass.: H. Reed, Lawrence Eagle Steam Job Print. Office, 1878, page 96.
  4. ^ Lowell, Delmar. (1899) The Historic Genealogy of the Lowells of America from 1639 to 1899, Rutland VT: The Tuttle Company. ISBN 978-0-7884-1567-8.
[edit]
Preceded by Trustee of Lowell Institute
1881–1900 		Succeeded by
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