RJ Reynolds (Entrepreneur)

Richard Joshua "RJ" Reynolds (born July 20, 1850 in Patrick County , Virginia , † July 29, 1918 in Winston-Salem , North Carolina ) was an American businessman and founder of the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company .

The son of a tobacco farmer sold his stake in the family business in 1874 and moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina with the intention of starting his own tobacco business. Reynolds, a clever businessman and hard worker, quickly became one of the wealthiest residents of Winston-Salem.

Reynolda

In 1905 he married Mary Katherine Smith, his 30 years younger second cousin . Reynolds and Katherine had four children:

• Richard Joshua Reynolds Jr. (1906–1964)
• Mary Katherine Reynolds Babcock (1908-1953)
• Nancy Susan Reynolds Bagley (1910–1985)
• Zachary Smith Reynolds (1911-1932)

Soon after the marriage, Katherine and Richard Reynolds began planning the construction of a country house near Winston-Salem. This initial thought quickly turned into an idea of ​​a large property and an exemplary farm. With Reynolds himself busy keeping the business going, that job was placed in Katherine's hands. The majority of the purchased land was therefore acquired in her name, which is why the property was also christened “Reynolda”, the feminine form of the family name “Reynolds”. She hired the architect Charles Barton Keen , who designed the bungalow- style property and many other buildings on the property. The site originally measured over four square kilometers. In addition to the main building, a nearby settlement was created in which many of the workers lived. The property had steam heating, telephone and bus services, two churches, two schools and a nine-hole golf course, among other things . The property was completed in 1917, but R. J. Reynolds probably died of pancreatic cancer seven months after the family moved in . The property would remain the family's home for another 40 years, until much of the property was given to Wake Forest University in 1951 . Reynolda House became a museum. Today the building as well as the gardens and the nearby settlement are open to visitors.

Sustainable influence

R. J. Reynolds and his family played an important role in the public life and history of the town of Winston-Salem. In 1884 he was a commissioner for the city; Reynolds' political views were progressive, especially considering the circumstances of the time. He introduced new working conditions in his factory, which z. B. included shorter working hours and higher pay. By signing, he also supported a petition to set up a property tax to finance public schools and also voted for an income tax . After his death, Katharine Reynolds maintained his philanthropic stance: She donated money to found the Richard J. Reynolds High School and the RJ Reynolds Memorial Auditorium (both listed on the National Register of Historic Places ), which were built in 1919 under the direction of architect Charles Barton Keen started. The school opened in an unfinished building in 1923 after the old school was destroyed by fire. Another souvenir of R. J. Reynolds is an equine statue in the town hall in Winston-Salem. In memory of Katherine Reynolds, there is also an obelisk about six meters high in the grounds of Richard J. Reynolds High School and the R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium.

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• Barbara Mayer, Reynolda: A History of an American Country House
• 1997: Reynolda Museum of American Art, USA