James Roosevelt Sr American businessman, father of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Date of Birth: 16.07.1828 Country: USA

Biography of James Roosevelt

James Roosevelt, an American businessman and the father of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, was born on July 16, 1828, in Springwood, the ancestral estate of the Roosevelt family in Hyde Park, New York. His father, Isaac Roosevelt, was a descendant of Nicholas Roosevelt, the first member of the family to hold an elected position in New Amsterdam (now New York City). His mother, Mary Rebecca Aspinwall, came from an old American family and was a sixth-generation descendant of Rebecca Stoughton, sister of William Stoughton, the judge in the Salem witch trials of 1692.

James Roosevelt had a successful career in the coal and transportation industries. He served as the vice president of the Delaware and Hudson Railway and led the Southern Railway Security Company. He was a tall, lean, and wealthy man with strong social connections, making him an excellent match by any standards. In 1847, he graduated from Union College in New York and married his first cousin, Rebecca Howland, in 1853. They had a son named James Roosevelt Jr., also known as "Rosie."

After Rebecca passed away in 1876, James Jr. went on to have a career in the diplomatic service, serving in American embassies in Vienna and London. In 1880, James Sr. married Sara Ann Delano, a wealthy heiress from a respected family, who was 26 years younger than him. They had one son together, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who became the future President of the United States. James was a loving and devoted father to Franklin, providing him with the best education and often traveling with him to Europe, which greatly influenced Franklin's language skills.

However, James' health issues turned him into an invalid, and it was then Franklin's turn to take care of his father. James Roosevelt passed away on December 8, 1900, at the age of 72. His considerable estate was divided between his sons after his death.