John Reid (businessman)

John Reid (October 14, 1840 – October 7, 1916) was a Scottish-American businessman who has been called "The Father of Golf" in the United States.[1]

For other people named John Reid, see John Reid (disambiguation).
John Reid
38th President of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York
In office
1898–1899
Preceded byWilliam Lyall
Succeeded byAndrew Carnegie
Personal details
Born(1840-10-14)October 14, 1840
Dunfermline, Scotland
DiedOctober 7, 1916(1916-10-07) (aged 75)
Yonkers, New York, U.S.
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery
Spouse
Lizzie Mudge
​
​
(m. 1873)​
Children5
ProfessionGeneral Manager of J. L. Mott Iron Works

Early life

Reid was born on October 14, 1840, in Dunfermline, Scotland. He was the son of Helen (née Arnot) Reid and Andrew Reid and received his early education in Scotland.[1]

Career

In 1866, Reid emigrated to the United States, and within a few months of his arrival, began working for J. L. Mott Iron Works, which was founded by Jordan L. Mott in 1828. Reid was eventually promoted to General Manager, which he held for thirty-nine years.[2] He also served as a trustee of the J. L. Mott Iron Works and a director of the Central Foundry Company, the Central Iron & Coal Company and the Trenton Fire Clay & Porcelain Company.[1] Upon Jordan L. Mott Jr.'s death in 1915, Reid served as executor of his estate.[3]

He was a member of the Engineers' Club, the Fulton Club, the Society of British Schools and Universities and the Burns Society. He was also elected a member of the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, of which he served as the 38th President from 1898 to 1899, when he was succeeded by Andrew Carnegie as president.[1]

Interest in golf

Around 1887, he introduced and played the "Royal Scottish Game" on an improvised course near his home and was the leader of the Apple Tree Gang.[4] On November 14, 1888, at a dinner at his house,[5] he founded and, served as the first president of Saint Andrew's Golf Club located in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.[6] Reid's portrait by Frank Fowler hangs in the dining room.[1] Today, the club is the oldest golf club in the United States.[7]

Personal life

On October 28, 1873, Reid was married to Elizabeth Eddy "Lizzie" Mudge (1854–1925) at Volcano, Virginia. Lizzie was the daughter of Daniel C. Mudge and Ellen (née Carr) Mudge. Together, they resided at 408 Palisades Avenue in Yonkers and were the parents of:[1]

  • Andrew Reid (1874–1876), who died in infancy.[1]
  • Ellen M. Reid (1876–1962),[1] who married lawyer Alexander Brown Halliday in 1899.[8][2]
  • John Reid Jr. (1878–1925),[9] also a golfer,[10] who helped found the Yale University Golf Club in 1896.[4] He married Jeanette Bull.[9]
  • Jean Arnot Reid (1882–1955), a painter.[11]
  • Archibald M. Reid (1884–1967),[12] who was a member of the 1902 Yale intercollegiate champion team and captain in 1904.[4] He was a partner in Carlisle & Jacquelin, and a former president of the United States Golf Association.[13]

After a lingering illness, Reid died on October 7, 1916, at his residence in Yonkers, New York.[14][2]

References
  1. Morrison, George Austin (1906). History of Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 1756-1906. Order of the Society at Press of the Evening Post Job Printing Office. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  2. MacDougall, Donald John (1917). Scots and Scots' Descendants in America. Caledonian Publishing Company. pp. 243, 340–341. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  3. "JORDAN L. MOTT'S WILL. Estate Estimated at More than $1,000,000 Goes to Family" (PDF). The New York Times. October 6, 1915. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  4. "John Reid, Jr. and Archibald M. Reid – YALE GOLF HISTORY". campuspress.yale.edu. Yale University. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  5. "Archibald Reid – YALE GOLF HISTORY". campuspress.yale.edu. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. Williams, Lena (October 14, 1979). "Golf Club's Tradition Undergoing Change Club Tradition Safe, Jack Nicklaus Vows" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  7. "Ryder Cup: Painting celebrates Dunfermline links to American golf". BBC. Retrieved December 9, 2017
  8. The Caledonian. Caledonian Publishing Company. 1916. p. 320. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  9. "JOHN REID JR. DEAD; Former Prominent Golf Player Dies in Racine, Wis., at 46" (PDF). The New York Times. 29 June 1925. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  10. "JOHN REID'S GOLF BEST; St. Andrew's Player Comes Within a Stroke of Course Record" (PDF). The New York Times. 27 November 1908. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  11. Catalogue of the Philadelphia Water Color Exhibition. Philadelphia Water Color Club. 1915. p. 22. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  12. "ARCHIBALD REID, 83, GOLFER AND BROKER" (PDF). The New York Times. November 25, 1967. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  13. "DEBUT PARTY AT HOME FOR JEAN ARNOT REID The Archibald Reids Introduce Daughter at a Reception" (PDF). The New York Times. November 28, 1938. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  14. "Died" (PDF). The New York Times. October 9, 1916. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
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