Abram Stevens Hewitt

Abram Stevens Hewitt (1822 – 1903) was a teacher, lawyer, an iron manufacturer, U.S. Congressman, and a mayor of New York City. He was the son-in-law of Peter Cooper (1791-1883), a famous American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist and (during the Hayes-Tilden campaign) Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Abram Stevens Hewitt is best known for his work with the Cooper Union and in planning the financing and construction of a subway system for New York City, and is considered the "Father of the New York City Subway System".

Childhood, education

Abram Stevens Hewitt was born in Haverstraw, New York. His mother was of French Huguenot descent and his father, John Hewitt, was from Staffordshire in England, and had emigrated to the United States in 1790 to work on a steam engine to power the water plant in Philadelphia.

Hewitt worked his way through college and graduated from Columbia College in 1842. He taught mathematics at the school, and became a lawyer several years later.

Business, civic leader, reformer

In 1845, Hewitt went into business with Edward Cooper, a son of Peter Cooper (1791-1883), and formed Cooper, Hewitt & Co., an iron-making firm. He was known for dedicated work for the U.S. government and exceptionally good relations with his employees. He helped found the Cooper Union.

In 1871, he was prominent in the reorganization of New York's Tammany Hall government after the fall of the "Tweed Ring" led by the infamous Boss Tweed,and became a mayor of New York City. His most famous speech was made at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge between Manhattan Island and Brooklyn in 1883.

Although his political alliances varied from one part and faction to another during a career in city, state, and national politics, Hewitt was considered a consistent defender of sound money practices and civil service reform. He was conspicuous for his public spirit, and developed an innovative funding and construction plan for the New York City subway system.

Hewitt had many investments in natural resources, including considerable holdings in West Virginia, where William Nelson Page (1854-1932) was one of his managers. He was also an associate of Henry H. Rogers, a key man in the Standard Oil Trust.

Columbia gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1887, and he was the president of its alumni association in 1883, and as Hewitt was a trustee from 1901 until his death. In 1876 he was elected president of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, and was a founder and trustee of the Carnegie Institution.

His most famous quotation is "Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation."

He died in 1903, and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

Legacy

• Abram Stevens Hewitt School (P.S. 130) in Bronx, New York was named for him.

• A famous New York City fireboat Abram S. Hewitt which served from 1903 until 1958 was named in his honor.

• There is a life-size white marble statue of Abram Stevens Hewitt in the Great Hall of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York in Albany, New York.

|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
James O'Brien | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |U.S. Representative from New York
1881–1887 | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
Francis B. Spinola

|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
William R. Grace | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |Mayor of New York City
1887–1888 | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
Hugh L. Grant