William Jay Schieffelin

William Jay Schieffelin
William Jay Schieffelin in 1894
Born(1866-04-14)April 14, 1866
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 29, 1955(1955-04-29) (aged 89)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Burial placeVanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum
EducationColumbia School of Mines, 1887
Spouse(s)Maria Louise Shepard, 1891
Children9, including William Jay Schieffelin Jr., John Jay Schieffelin, Bayard Schieffelin
Parent(s)William Henry Schieffelin
Mary Jay
RelativesJay (surname)
Schieffelin family
Vanderbilt family
Signature

William Jay Schieffelin ( New York City, April 14, 1866 – April 29, 1955), was an American businessman, philanthropist, and president of the Citizens Union (New York City).[1][2][3]

Schieffelin joined the good government movement in New York City in the 1890s, and was active in the city's politics for more than thirty years, fighting against corruption and the preservation of Central Park.

Schieffelin was a strong advocate for the rights and social progress of African Americans, women's suffrage, and the improvement of working conditions in factories.

Schieffelin was a supporter of World federalism and influenced U.S. foreign policy from the beginning of World War I to the end of World War II. He was a member of the League to Enforce Peace group since 1915. Schieffelin was disappointed that the United States never joined the League of Nations after World War I. As chairman of the New York State Committee for World Federation, Schieffelin launched a campaign in 1943 that resulted in a resolution in the New York State Legislature declaring that only an international organization of all nations could lead to lasting peace. The resolution supported the United States' efforts to join the United Nations after World War II.[2]

Schieffelin sided with interventionism during World War II. At a meeting organized by France Forever in 1940, Schieffelin said that the U.S. should act more decisively against Japan and Nazi Germany. He supported Wendell Willkie as Republican nominee for president in 1940, and he supported incumbent Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1944 presidential election.[2][4]

  1. ^ "Century Archives – The Century Association Archives Foundation". centuryarchives.org. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Scheufele, Michael (2022). Jacob Scheuffelin, currently in Pennsylvania … Five Hundred Years of the Schieffelin Family. wbg Academic in Herder. pp. 145–156. ISBN 978-3534450060.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).