Henry William Poor (June 16, 1844 – April 13, 1915) was an American banker, stockbroker, and author.
Biography Early life Henry William Poor was born in Bangor, Maine in 1844, the son of Henry Varnum Poor. The family moved to New York City when he was five years old, and he spent his youth there. He attended Harvard College, graduating in 1865.Biography of Henry William Poor . In: Hall, Henry, ed.. America's Successful Men of Affairs: An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography, pp. 512-513. New York, USA: The New York Tribune, 1895-96. The firm that he and his father established in 1868, H. V. & H. W. Poor, which published the annually-updated reference book for investors Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States; the publication was a predecessor of what was to become Standard & Poor's.A History of Standard & Poor's
He married Constance Evelyn Brandon on February 4, 1880, and they had five children. He was also reputed to be a participant in orgies in New York, with his friend Stanford White.
Career He became prominent as a stockbroker and investor, but had to liquidate his business in 1908 following some major losses."Henry W. Poor Fails; Loss Over a Million; Little Left of the Broker and Publisher's Once Large Fortune. Mergers Didn't Succeed; He Is Said to Have Lost Heavily In the Failure of His Sugar and Ice Investments.", The New York Times, December 27, 1908
He was also widely known as a book collector and a patron of the arts.
Death He died in New York City on April 13, 1915.Henry W. Poor Dies; Railway Publisher; Head of Poor's Manual and Banker Expires Suddenly at His Home, at 71. Made and Lost a Fortune; His Wife Gave Her Big Estate to His Creditors in 1908 -- An Art and Book Collector., The New York Times, April 14, 1915
References
External links Gilding the Gilded Age: Interior Decoration Tastes & Trends in New York City A collaboration between The Frick Collection and The William Randolph Hearst Archive at LIU Post.