Edward Julius Berwind


Edward Julius Berwind was the founder of the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company. He was head of the company from 1886 until 1930.

Early Life

Berwind was born on June 17, 1848 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was one of five sons born to German immigrants Augusta Berwind and John Berwind. His sister was Julia A. Berwind, a social welfare activist who in later life lived with Edward.
Berwind was appointed to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in July 1865 by President Abraham Lincoln, and graduated in June 1869 as a midshipman. He was promoted to ensign in July 1870 and to master in March 1872. He was placed on the Retired List in May 1875. While in the Navy, he served during the Franco-Prussian War and as an Ensign, met the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, who became a lifelong friend of Berwind.

Career

Upon leaving the Navy, Berwind went into business with his older brother, Charles Berwind, and Judge Allison White; co-founding Berwind, White & Company, which was incorporated as Berwind-White in 1886. Berwind worked closely with J. P. Morgan in the consolidation, reorganization, integration, and expansion of his coal mining operations. In his day he was also considered to be the world's largest individual owner of coal mining properties. Berwind also refused to bargain with his employees, making his mines among the last open shops in the coal fields.
Berwind and Peter A. B. Widener established the New York subway system and Berwind, along with Widener, was a director of International Mercantile Marine Company which owned the White Star Line and, subsequently, the RMS Titanic. Berwind controlled the steamship business in New York and Philadelphia and supplied much of the coal used by the ships of the US Navy. After his brother's death in 1890, Edward became sole manager of the company.
During the Grant administration, he served as a naval aide at the White House.

Personal life

In 1886, Berwind was married to Sarah Vesta Herminie Torrey, at Leghorn, Italy where her father was U.S. Consular Agent. Sarah was a daughter of Franklin Torrey, a prominent sculptor, and Sarah Lincoln Torrey. Her brother was Charles Franklin Torrey, who inherited the residue of her estate.
After the death of his wife in 1922, his sister served as hostess for Edward in New York and Newport.
He died on August 18, 1936 at his home, 2 East 64th Street in New York City. After a funeral held at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York, he was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, along with his wife, in a mausoleum that was designed by Horace Trumbauer, the architect of The Elms, his summer home in Newport, Rhode Island. His sister Julia and nephew, Charles E. Dunlap, were his principal beneficiaries.