Robert Fulton Cutting

Robert Fulton Cutting
Born(1852-06-27)June 27, 1852
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 21, 1934(1934-09-21) (aged 82)
Tuxedo Park, New York, U.S.
Alma materColumbia University
Occupation(s)Real estate developer, sugar beet refiner
Spouses
Nathalie Charlotte Pendelton Schenck
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(m. 1874; died 1875)​
Helen Suydam
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(m. 1883; died 1919)​
Children7
Parent(s)Fulton Cutting
Elise Justine Bayard
RelativesWilliam Bayard Cutting (brother)
Francis B. Cutting (uncle)

Robert Fulton Cutting (June 27, 1852 – September 21, 1934), was an American financier and philanthropist known as "the first citizen of New York." Cutting and his brother William started the sugar beet industry in the United States in 1888.[1]

During his life he was known for his fight against Tammany Hall and Republican party bosses.[2] In 1897, he formed the Citizens Union, an organization that studied political issues, developed policies, and presented them to the public to influence politics, particularly around elections. This later became the Bureau of Municipal Research.[3] He was also a vestryman at St. George's Church in Stuyvesant Square.[4] He became President of the Cooper Union in 1914, and served in that position until his death in 1934.[5]

  1. ^ "The "Father" of the Research Bureau The "Father" Of The Research Bureau". An Adventure in Democracy. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  2. ^ Hutto, Richard Jay (2005). The Jekyll Island Club Members. Indigo Custom Publishing. p. 43. ISBN 9780977091225. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  3. ^ "The "Father" of the Research Bureau The "Father" Of The Research Bureau". An Adventure in Democracy. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ^ "DIED. CUTTING--Robert Fulton" (PDF). The New York Times. 23 September 1934. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  5. ^ Lynch, Mary (December 2016). "Presidents of the Cooper Union". Cooper Union Alumni Association. Retrieved July 4, 2022.