Augustus Schell

{{infobox officeholder

| name = Augustus Schell

| image = Augustus Schell.jpg

| office = Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

| term_start = 1872

| term_end = 1876

| predecessor = August Belmont, Sr.

| successor = Abram S. Hewitt

| office1 = Collector of the Port of New York

| term_start1 = 1857

| term_end1 = 1861

| predecessor1 = Heman J. Redfield

| successor1 = Hiram Barney

| office2 = Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee

| term_start2 = 1853

| term_end2 = 1856

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| birth_date = August 1, 1812

| birth_place = Rhinebeck, New York, U.S.

| death_date = March 27, 1884 (aged 71)

| death_place = New York City, New York, U.S.

| resting_place= Woodlawn Cemetery

| education =

| alma_mater = Union College
Litchfield Law School

| party = Democrat

| parents = Christian Schell
Elizabeth Hughes

| spouse = Anna Mott Fox

| children =

| relations = Richard Schell (brother)
Edward Schell (brother)

}}

File:Augustus Schell (NYPL Hades-255744-430771).jpg

Augustus Schell (August 1, 1812 – March 27, 1884) was a New York politician and lawyer. He was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1872 to 1876.

Early life

Schell was born on August 1, 1812, in Rhinebeck, New York. He was the son of Christian Schell (1779–1825), a merchant,{{cite web|title=Augustus Schell (1812–1884)|url=https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibit/augustus-schell-1812-1884|website=www.nyhistory.org|publisher=New-York Historical Society|access-date=13 February 2018|language=en}} and Elizabeth (née Hughes) Schell (1783–1866). He was the brother of U.S. Representative Richard Schell (1810–1879), Robert Schell (1815–1900), and Edward Schell (1819–1893), who were well-known business men of New York City.{{cite book|title=The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York: History, Customs, Record of Events, Constitution, Certain Genealogies, and Other Matters of Interest. V. 1-|date=1905|publisher=Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York|page=138|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJM-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA138|access-date=13 February 2018|language=en}}

His paternal grandparents were Richard Schell and Anna (née Schultz) Schell.

He was educated at Rhinebeck Academy and Wesleyan Seminary. He was graduated in 1830 from Union College with Phi Beta Kappa honors and membership in the Kappa Alpha Society,{{cite book|last1=Kappa Alpha Catalog committee|title=A Record of the Members of the Kappa Alpha Society and a City and Town Directory, 1825–1913|date=1892|publisher=Cayuga Press|page=21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jJoKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA21|access-date=13 February 2018|language=en}} and then studied at Litchfield Law School.{{cite book|title=Appletons' Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events|date=1888|publisher=D. Appleton & Company|page=611|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jkU8AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA611|access-date=13 February 2018|language=en}}

Career

He was admitted to the bar in 1833, and started a practice in New York City at the firm of John Slosson (1806–1872), later a judge of the New York Superior Court;{{Cite book |last=Schell |first=Francis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nKfVAAAAMAAJ |title=Memoir of the Hon. Augustus Schell |date=1885 |publisher=Privately printed for family distribution |language=en}} he formed a firm (Slosson & Schell) with Slosson in 1842. He started out as an early expert in the then new field of corporate law and through his profession became active in railroad management. A friend of Cornelius Vanderbilt, he gradually expanded his railroad connections through investments as well as legal counsel.{{cite web|title=Augustus Schell {{!}} Litchfield Ledger - Student| url=https://www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org/ledger/students/2226 |website=www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org |publisher=Litchfield Historical Society|access-date=13 February 2018}}

He was a director in many railroad and financial corporations, including the Harlem Railroad, Lake Shore and Michigan Central, and Hudson River Railroads as well as the Western Union Telegraph Company. He was also active in the management of philanthropic institutions, including 19 years as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the New-York Historical Society.{{cite news|title=The Historical Society and "Gus" Schell.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1873/01/10/archives/the-historical-society-and-gus-schell.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=January 10, 1873}}

=Political career=

An active Democrat, he joined Tammany Hall in 1852 where, after William M. Tweed's fall, he succeeded August Belmont, Sr. as Grand Sachem in 1870.The American Almanac, Year-Book, Encyclopædia and Atlas, 1904, p. 187 He was head of the Democratic state committee from 1853 to 1856. In the 1852, he was proposed as the Democratic candidate for Governor of New York, although he lost the nomination to Horatio Seymour, who was elected Governor.

During the administration of President James Buchanan, he was collector of the Port of New York.{{cite news|title=Eulogizing Augustus Schell.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/03/29/archives/eulogizing-augustus-schell.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=29 March 1884}}

He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee that supported John C. Breckinridge for the presidency in 1860 and also from 1872 to 1876,{{cite news|title=General Politics; the Presidential Campaign. Mr. Schell's Visit to Washington and the Result of It He Takes the Campaign into His Own Hands.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1876/01/31/archives/general-politics-the-presidential-campaign-mr-schells-visit-to.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=January 31, 1876}} where he managed Horace Greeley's presidential campaign. In 1872, his name was again put forth for the nomination for Democratic candidate for Governor, but he was prevented by the work of Samuel Jones Tilden, who was then the Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee. After the trial of William M. Tweed and his associates, Schell became the Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall and labored for the purification and rehabilitation of the Tammany society.{{cite news|title= Resuscitating Tammany.; Installation of the New Grand Sachem His Address a Committee of Reorganization.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1872/02/21/archives/resuscitating-tammany-installation-of-the-new-grand-sachem-his.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=21 February 1872}} In 1878, he was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor.

Personal life

Schell was married to Anna Mott Fox (1827–1905), the daughter of George Shotwell Fox and Rebecca Leggett Fox.{{cite news|title=Died. Schell|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1905/01/07/archives/obituary-1-no-title.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=January 7, 1905}} At his death, he was worth several million dollars, but having had no children, he left all of his money to his nieces and nephews, except for $200,000 in cash and his home at 9 West 34th Street in New York City to his wife, the aunt of Austen George Fox.{{cite news|title=Augustus Schell's Heirs.; Liberal Bequests to the Members of His Family.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/04/15/archives/augustus-schells-heirs-liberal-bequests-to-the-members-of-his.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=15 April 1884}}

He died on March 27, 1884,{{cite book|last1=Lossing|first1=Benson John|last2=Wilson|first2=Woodrow|title=Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History from 458 A.D. to 1915|date=1915|publisher=Harper Bros.|page=104|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SCRGAQAAMAAJ&pg=PT104|access-date=13 February 2018|language=en}} from Bright's disease.{{cite news|title=Augustus Schell Still Alive.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/03/24/archives/augustus-schell-still-alive.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=24 March 1884}}{{cite news|title=Augustus Schell's Condition.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/03/25/archives/augustus-schells-condition.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=25 March 1884}}{{cite news |title=Augustus Schell Dying |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/03/23/archives/augustus-schell-dying-believing-that-his-end-is-near-he-bids-his.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 23, 1884 |access-date=2011-05-03 }} He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.{{cite news|title=Funeral of Augustus Schell.; Many Distinguished Persons at the Services at the House.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/03/30/archives/funeral-of-augustus-schell-many-distinguished-persons-at-the.html|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The New York Times|date=30 March 1884}}

=Legacy=

Augustus Schell is the namesake of Schell City, Missouri, of which he was one of the original proprietors.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RfAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA369 | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1918 | page=369}}

References

;Notes

;Sources

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070917051648/http://www.picturehistory.com/product/id/20469 Bio from PictureHistory]
{{Cite Appletons'|wstitle=Schell, Augustus|year=1900}}
[https://books.google.com/books?id=nKfVAAAAMAAJ&q=cemetery Memoir of the Hon. Augustus Schell]. 1884. Francis Schell, author.