Alexander Van Rensselaer
Alexander Van Rensselaer (born October 1, 1850 in New Jersey , † July 18, 1933 ) was an American tennis player and sponsor of Princeton and Drexel University .
Life
Van Rensselaer came from a wealthy and influential Philadelphia family . His ancestor was Kiliaen van Rensselaer , a co-founder of the Dutch East India Company , his grandfather Stephen Van Rensselaer .
Alexander Van Rensselaer studied at Princeton University and graduated in 1871. In January 1897 he married Sarah Drexel Fell, whom he had met on a sailing trip on the family yacht May .
Because of the wealth of his family, he was never forced to work for a living. Van Rensselaer therefore devoted himself instead to promoting science and art. From 1901 until shortly before his death he was President of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association . He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Princeton University and in 1908 its chairman. From 1897 he was also director of the Drexel Institute (now Drexel University ) in Philadelphia, to which he bequeathed part of his fortune after his death.
In 1901 the couple went on a trip around the world and were among others guests of the Japanese Emperor Meiji , the English royal family and the Viceroy of India .
Van Rensselaer was also an excellent tennis player. In 1881, 1883 and 1884 he reached the double finals at the US Championships .
He died in July 1933 at the age of 82.
Web links
- the-van-rensselaer-family ( Memento from February 20, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- Alexander Van Rensselaer. tennisarchives.com, accessed on April 19, 2013 (English).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Van Rensselaer, Alexander |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American tennis player, sponsor of Princeton and Drexel University |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 1, 1850 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New Jersey |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 18, 1933 |