Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-14
Unostentatious, But Not Unknown.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
You referred in recent interesting ed
itOrial to the late John S. Kennedy as
comparatively obscure and unknown. Ii
is true that he carefully Stunned osten-
tation and notoriety, especially of the
cheap newspaper kind, which chronicles
the most insignificant doings and sayings
of the most Insignificant persons who mus.
fancy that they are thereby distinguished
in some desirable sense but when he re-
tired from business more than a quarter
of a century ago there was no man bet
ter known i'm the financial and railroad
world for his work and worth than John
S. Kennedy. And since his retirement.
although he took pains to conceal his
benefactions. he was more widely known
TO more people worth knowing than most
men of his time. In the last number of
the Columbia Alumni News he is desc.ib-
ed as perhaps New York's foremost ad-
vocate of scientifically organized char
ity.' The secret of his gift of S5O0OOO
for the erection of Hamilton Hall-the
permanent home of Columbia College
Butler. But President Butler knew il all
the time. This and many of the other
benefactions of the deceased i'm his life
time, with the splendid conservation of
thirty millions in his will to beneficent
uses in his adopted country are now
known to the world-just as he would
have it-when he himself has passed
away. Still in these days of cheap no.
d
susceptible Of grave misconception. to
speak of him having been unknown.
He was known and notable in the highest
degree.
ing paragraphs of the article from the
college journal to which / have re-
ferred:
"In the course of his banking business
Mr.. Kennedy became one of the fore
most financiers of the country. Wall
street knew him particularly as one close
ly associated with James J. Hin in the
Northwestern railway development of
three decades and more ago. He was in
terested In the construction OF what is
now the Great Northern railway.
His railroading interests spread afar.
until he was factor I'm lines scattered
all over the country. lie mad neen, also:
a trustee and finance committeeman of
the New York Life Insurance Company.
president Of the Central Syndicate Build
ing Company and a trustee of the Central
Trust Company, Title Guarantee and
Trust Company, United states Trust Com
pany. Hudson Trust Company of New
Jersey and Manhattan Bank.
Before naming the charitable. educal
tional and civic enterprises with which
Mr.. Kennedy was connected. ii should be
said that he actually took hand in di-
recting them. With him it was no empty
honor to be called trustee or offi er of an
organization; he gave To IL at least part
of his time. and not infrequently part
of his money.
He was president of the board of trus-
tees of Robert College Constantinople
and of the American Bible House. i'm the
same city. He also headed the Presby-
terrain Hospital board and the United
Charities. Since 1903 he hau been a trus-
tee of Columbia University. Then he was
second vice president and an executive
committeeman of the Metropolitan Mu-
scum of Art secord vice president of the
New York Public Library and a vice
president of the Society for the Ruptured
and Crippled. He was one of the found
eBs of the Provident Loan Society, the
philanthropic pawnbroking establishment
and trustee after it's organization. At
one time he was vice president of the
chamber of commerce, and he was a
member of the Metropolitan Club Century
Association, Union League Club, Down
town Club. Grolier Club. City Club, New
York Yacht Club. Atlantic Yacht Club,
Jekyl Island Club and other social or
CARNATIONS. as well of the American
Museum of Natural History and the New
York Historical Society. In summer he