Knox, John Jay, 1828-1892

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U.S. Comptroller of the Currency.

From the description of First National Bank of Washington receivership letter, 1873. (Historical Society of Washington, Dc). WorldCat record id: 767726418

Financier and public official.

From the description of Letters of John Jay Knox, 1878-1880. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71009963

John Jay Knox has an entry in the Dictionary of American Biography. He was born in Oneida County, New York. He graduated from Hamilton College. His father was a banker, and Knox followed him into this career. Later he worked in the U.S. Treasury Department and became Comptroller of the Currency. In 1884 he resigned that position and became a bank president in New York City. He died in that city in 1892.

From the description of House photographs, ca.1884-1892. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 261233034

John Jay Knox (1828-1892) was an American banker, author, and politician who served as president of the National Bank of the Republic and helped prepare the Coinage Act of 1873 that officially dropped the silver dollar from U.S. coinage.

Knox was born March 19, 1828 in Augusta (Oneida County), New York, the seventh child of John J. Knox and Sarah Ann Curtiss. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1849, before working as a bank teller at the Bank of Vernon, where his father was president. In 1862, Knox wrote an essay on the need for a national banking system that prompted Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase to appoint him to a clerkship position in the Treasury department. After holding several different positions, Knox was appointed Deputy Comptroller of the Currency in 1867 and promoted to Comptroller by President Ulysses S. Grant on April 24, 1872. While in this position, Knox played an important role in the drafting of the Coinage Act of 1873 which eliminated the silver dollar making the gold dollar the unit of measure. In May 1884, Knox resigned his post to accept a position as president of the National Bank of the Republic.

On February 7, 1871, Knox married Caroline E. Todd with whom he had three sons and three daughters. He died in New York City on February 9, 1892.

From the guide to the John Jay Knox Letters, 1870-1894, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary. Correspondence, 1863-1879 Smithsonian Institution Archives
creatorOf Knox, John Jay, 1828-1892. House photographs, ca.1884-1892. Winterthur Library
referencedIn Knox family. Correspondence, 1864-1887. New-York Historical Society
creatorOf Hay, John, 1838-1905. Correspondence, 1854-1914, "Johnston" to "La Farge" Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
creatorOf Hay, John, 1838-1905. Correspondence, 1854-1914, "LaFarge" to "Lincoln". Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
referencedIn Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary. Correspondence, 1865-1891 Smithsonian Institution Archives
referencedIn Henry Villard papers, 1604-1948 (inclusive), 1863-1900 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Knox, John Jay, 1828-1892. First National Bank of Washington receivership letter, 1873. Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
creatorOf Barnard, Frederick A. P. (Frederick Augustus Porter), 1809-1889. Letter to John Jay Knox, 1886 February 24. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Century Company records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Elihu Root Correspondence, 1874-1935 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Knox, John Jay, 1828-1892. Letters of John Jay Knox, 1878-1880. Library of Congress
referencedIn Knox family. Papers, 1813-1918 (inclusive) 1813-1895 (bulk) Rutgers University
creatorOf John Jay Knox Letters, 1870-1894 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Coffin, James H. (James Henry), 1806-1873. James Henry Coffin Papers, 1848-1884 Smithsonian Institution Archives
referencedIn Burroughs, John, 1837-1921. Papers of John Burroughs [manuscript], 1856-1943. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Miller, Samuel Freeman, 1816-1890. Letter to John Jay Knox. Washington, DC. 1889 Nov. 15. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Smithsonian Archives. Ru 7079: Philosophical Society Of Washington.
creatorOf Adams, Charles Francis, 1807-1886. Letters of prominent American political and military figures, circa 1826-1884. Cornell University Library
referencedIn Spinner, Francis Elias, 1802-1890. Francis Elias Spinner papers, 1868-1878. Library of Congress
referencedIn Alpheus Felch Papers, 1817-1896 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Jonas, Harold. Collection of Roscoe Conkling materials, 1822-1962. Library of Congress
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Atkinson, Edward, 1827-1905 person
associatedWith Barnard, Frederick A. P. (Frederick Augustus Porter), 1809-1889. person
associatedWith Bowen, Henry Chandler, 1813-1896 person
associatedWith Bowker, Richard Rogers, 1848-1933 person
associatedWith Burdick, Francis M. (Francis Marion), 1845-1920 person
associatedWith Burroughs, John, 1837-1921. person
correspondedWith Century Company corporateBody
associatedWith Dana, William B. person
associatedWith Davidson, George person
correspondedWith Dellenbaugh, Frederick Samuel, 1853-1935 person
associatedWith Felch, Alpheus, 1804-1896 person
associatedWith First National Bank of Washington. corporateBody
associatedWith Gould, Jay, 1836-1892 person
associatedWith Hay, John, 1838-1905. person
correspondedWith Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 person
associatedWith Hewitt, Abram S. (Abram Stevens), 1822-1903 person
associatedWith Jonas, Harold. person
correspondedWith Kirtland, Albert B. person
associatedWith Knox family. family
associatedWith Knox family. family
associatedWith Knox, G. W. person
associatedWith Laughlin, J. Laurence (James Laurence), 1850-1933 person
associatedWith McPherson, John R. (John Rhoderic), 1833-1897 person
associatedWith Metcalf, Lorettus Sutton, 1837-1920 person
associatedWith Miller, Samuel Freeman, 1816-1890. person
associatedWith Root, Elihu, 1845-1937 person
correspondedWith Spinner, Francis Elias, 1802-1890. person
associatedWith Stanton, Edwin L. (Edwin Lamson), 1842-1877. person
associatedWith Street Portraits. corporateBody
associatedWith Taussig, F. W. (Frank William), 1859-1940 person
associatedWith Torrey, John person
associatedWith United States. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. corporateBody
correspondedWith Villard, Henry, 1835-1900 person
associatedWith White, George H. B., notary public. person
associatedWith White, Horace, 1834-1916 person
associatedWith Winthrop, Robert C. (Robert Charles), 1834-1905 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Washington (D.C.)
Subject
Bankers
Banks and banking
Banks and banking
Business and industry
Congress
Dining rooms
Dwellings
Entrance halls
Exchanges Of Publications
Finance, Public
House furnishings
Interior decoration
Living rooms
Meteorology
Mint
Receivership
Recommendations For Positions
Science In Europe
Scientific publications
Smithsonian Exchange
Smithsonian Publications
Standardization
Surveys And Explorations, General
Treasury Department
Occupation
Bankers
Capitalists and financiers
Public officials
Activity

Person

Birth 1828

Death 1892

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