The Pinchots and The Greatest Good: How One Family Improved Social Justice and Civil Rights in America
The Pinchot family women; supported the arts; founded Liberties Bureau, a group of lawyers who has a long- and supported civil rights organizations; offered pro bono defense of cases that standing goal of campaigned tirelessly for the rights of protected basic civil liberties such as free conservation, workers, women, and children; and speech, free press, peaceful assembly, civil rights, much more. Few wealthy families of the liberty of conscience, and freedom from and social nineteenth century can point with pride search and seizure. The Little Civil justice. to such dedicated efforts on behalf of the Liberties Bureau eventually became the Gifford less fortunate. American Civil Liberties Union. Amos Pinchot was The U.S. Forest Service and its partners served on its Board until his death. not just a continue to explore this family’s efforts conservationist to improve the basic human rights that Cornelia Pinchot: and a forester— we enjoy today. Grey Towers National Cornelia, Gifford he was a trust Historic Site, Pinchot’s ancestral home Pinchot’s wife, buster, fearless Gifford Pinchot in Milford, PA, continues to deliver was a suffragette explorer, and a public programs and interpretive tours who helped get proponent of public electric power. He to thousands of visitors annually. women the fought the corruption in which the rich right to vote. and powerful dominated the agenda of These Pinchot family members continue She worked government. to inspire us and our visitors: tirelessly for Pinchot is known for reforming how Amos Pinchot: public good, forests in the United States were At the risk of helping to put managed and developed and for alienating himself an end to child advocating the conservation of the from his family labor, taking a stand Nation’s forest reserves through planned and his niche in against low pay Cornelia Pinchot use and renewal. He called it “the art society, Gifford and poor working of producing from the forest whatever Pinchot’s conditions for women, and pursuing it can yield for the service of man.” We younger fair and just treatment of minorities in also know it as “the greatest good for brother our country. She joined committees, the greatest number in the long run.” Amos fought started trade union leagues, and walked As governor of Pennsylvania, Pinchot vehemently for picket lines with working women who concentrated on popular reforms: basic human and were demanding equal pay for equal improving the government economy, civil rights. We can work. She was a founding member enforcing Prohibition, regulating learn from Amos’ Amos Pinchot of the Committee 100, which was public utilities, providing relief for the perspective that as dedicated to justice and equality for unemployed, and constructing paved a society, we must help people first meet African American citizens, and helped roads to “get the farmers out of the their basic human needs. Once those increase the National Association for mud.” needs are met, people will then think the Advancement of Colored People about the environment. (NAACP) legal defense and education This altruism is rooted in generations fund by $120,000 within the first 7 that came before, during, and after Amos Pinchot spent the majority of years. Today we can revisit Cornelia’s Gifford’s time. His ancestors and his adult life fighting for people he viewpoint that women—as a strong relatives fought slavery; campaigned for thought were bullied by “Big Business” block of constituents—can bring about rights for Native Americans; provided and government. In 1915, he headed change in a society. free college education to men and an organization called the Little Civil
Forest Service Grey Towers Reprinted February National Historic Site 2016 The Pinchots and the Greatest Good (continued)
Antoinette Pinchot dedicated to protecting and elevating Amos Richard Eno: Johnstone: Like Native Americans in the United Gifford’s maternal her brothers States and eliminating warfare in the grandfather was Gifford western territories. His altruism was felt a successful and Amos, throughout the generations, as evidenced businessman and Antoinette in a letter he wrote to the governor philanthropist (Nettie) was of New York in 1867: “A good human from Simsbury, raised in an intelligence feels bound to use all its powers CT. He was atmosphere to accomplish the greatest good for the a founding surrounded by the greatest number of people.” Hmmmm…. benefactor of arts, natural beauty, sounds familiar! the Simsbury and humanitarian James Pinchot: According to Gifford Free Library, causes. In 1892, Antoinette Pinchot among other Amos Richard Eno Johnstone Pinchot, it was his father James whose she married Sir “…foresight and philanthropic Alan Johnstone, tenacity were gestures. Amos built the Fifth Avenue a British Diplomat. She was known to responsible… Hotel at 23rd Street in New York City, direct her energies toward promoting for bringing known in the 19th century as “Eno’s social causes. During World War I, Forestry to this Folly” since it was considered too far Antoinette organized and managed the continent. That uptown to be successful. He founded large American hospital near Paris. While being true, he the Second National Bank of New living in Holland, she was instrumental was and is fairly York, headquartered at the hotel, which in bringing relief to British soldiers who entitled to be was hit by scandal when Amos’ son escaped from German prisons. called the Father embezzled millions of dollars and then of Forestry in fled to Canada to avoid prosecution. Peter Cooper: America.” It Amos personally repaid the millions Peter, Cornelia was James who that were stolen to the depositors. He James Pinchot Pinchot’s great- encouraged Gifford owned the land that is now occupied grandfather, was to pursue a career by the iconic Flatiron Building and the an American in forestry when no such profession swampy hunting grounds now known as industrialist, existed in America. He also endowed the Madison Square Park, where the official inventor, and Yale School of Forestry and dedicated rules of baseball were developed because philanthropist. a portion of his Grey Towers estate to he allowed baseball teams to practice Because establish the Milford Forest Experiment there. he believed Station, the first of its kind in the United that men and States. “A good human intelligence women deserved a free education, James participated in the financing and feels bound to use all its he created the founding of the National Academy of Peter Cooper powers to accomplish the Cooper Union for Design and the American Museum the Advancement of Natural History. He was also greatest good for the greatest of Science and Art in 1859 in New instrumental in bringing the Statue of number of people.” Liberty to America. He held positions York City. Cooper Union provided a Peter Cooper location for local citizens to participate with the National Geographic Society, — in social and political debates and hear Washington Academy of Sciences, and the Society of American Foresters. He free lectures on science and government. Want to learn more about these was founder of the first association in It also served as the place where some fascinating family members? If so, America for providing model tenements of our country’s most important ask us about the walking tours of both for the poor, a project in which he organizations, such as the Red Cross and Milford and New York City, the lecture/ remained actively involved until his NAACP, were organized. film series, and the publication “The death in 1908. Cooper organized the privately funded Pinchots of Grey Towers: One Family, United States Indian Commission, One House, One Legacy.”
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