James Harper (publisher)

James Harper (born April 13, 1795 in Newtown, Long Island, † March 27, 1869 ) was an American publisher and politician. He was a co-founder of Harper & Brothers , a forerunner of HarperCollins , and Mayor of New York in 1844/1845.

Life

James (standing) with his brothers Fletcher , John and Joseph (from left to right)

Harper was born the eldest of four sons to Joseph and Elizabeth Kolyer Harper. He was raised Methodist and only attended school irregularly, as he often had to help with farm work. At the age of 16 he went to New York to learn the printing trade at Paul & Thomas , a co-owner of which was a family friend. During this time he made friends with Thurlow Weed , who was also employed there as a printer's apprentice and to whom he later owed his political contacts.

With the next younger brother John (1797–1875) he founded the J. & J. Harper printing company in 1817 . The younger brothers Joseph Wesley (1801–1870) and Fletcher (1806–1877) later also joined the company, which by 1825 had grown into the largest book printing company in New York thanks to the brothers' clever corporate policy. Above all, literary works by European and American authors, but also philosophical works, were published. In 1833 the company name (company) was changed to Harper & Brothers . One of the publisher's first major successes was the book Awful Disclosures by Maria Monk , which sold 300,000 copies. Thanks to a law of the State of New York, the company won a contract to equip numerous school libraries in 1838. The publisher's great successes were Harper's Family Library and the New England School Library .

In 1844 Harper ran for the nativist American Republican Party , a forerunner of the Know-Nothing Party , in the mayoral elections and won against the Locofoco and Whig candidates. As mayor, he began (according to plans by Peter Cooper ) the establishment of the first urban police force (now the New York City Police Department ) and plans for the construction of a municipal sewerage system. As early as 1845, however, Tammany Hall , considered corrupt, took back control of the mayor's post.

In 1850, based on an idea from Harper, the first issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine was published. His brother Fletcher took control of the sheet. Harper's Weekly was added in 1857 . From 1861 until his death, Harper served on the board of directors of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.

Harper was married to Maria Arcularius, with whom he had a son and who died in 1847. He then married Julia Thorne, who gave birth to a son and two daughters.

On March 25, 1869, Harper was thrown from the vehicle in an accident in his carriage and died in hospital two days later. He is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery , Brooklyn.

Harper Avenue in the Bronx borough was named after James Harper.

predecessor	Office	successor
Robert Morris	Mayor of New York City 1844 - 1845	William Frederick Havemeyer