Hilborne Lewis Roosevelt (December 21, 1849 – December 30, 1886) was a pioneering organ builder, telecommunication engineer, and a member of the Roosevelt family.
Roosevelt did not take to either business or politics, the traditional Roosevelt family occupations. Instead, he was musically and mechanically inclined and wanted to be an organ builder from early childhood, entering an apprenticeship at an organ factory. He later traveled to Europe for further training in the field.[3] His relatives frowned upon a mechanical occupation, but when he began to make money, his family was reassured.
Roosevelt was particularly interested in the electric action organ, and was one of the first to study the application of new electrical devices to the manufacture of organ actions. He took out the first patent in the United States for an electric action for the pipe organ when he was 20, and built the first electric action organ in the United States[4] for the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Though primarily interested in the technical aspects, he had a good deal of business acumen as well, establishing factories in New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Hilborne founded the Roosevelt Pipe Organ Builders in 1870 with his brother Frank and built some of the largest organs in the United States during his career.
Roosevelt was also widely known among electricians for inventing several details of the telephone including the automatic switch-hook,[5] for which he received royalties for many years (even though Thomas A. Watson claimed to be the first[6][7]), and held an interest in the Bell Telephone Company.[3]
Personal lifeedit
Roosevelt married Katherine Shippen on February 1, 1883, and had one child, Dorothy Quincy Roosevelt (born 1884). He died at his home in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan at the age of 37 on December 30, 1886.[8]
Referencesedit
^Schriftgiesser, Karl (1942). The Amazing Roosevelt Family, 1613–1942. Wildred Funk, Inc.
^Whittelsey, Charles B. (1902). The Roosevelt Genealogy, 1649–1902. Hartford, Conn., Press of J. B. Burr & co.
^Ochse, Orpha Caroline (1988). The History of the Organ in the United States. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. p. 265. ISBN9780253204950.
hilborne, roosevelt, hilborne, lewis, roosevelt, december, 1849, december, 1886, pioneering, organ, builder, telecommunication, engineer, member, roosevelt, family, hilborne, lewis, roosevelt, 1880bornhilborne, lewis, roosevelt, 1849, december, 1849new, york, . Hilborne Lewis Roosevelt December 21 1849 December 30 1886 was a pioneering organ builder telecommunication engineer and a member of the Roosevelt family Hilborne RooseveltHilborne Lewis Roosevelt ca 1880BornHilborne Lewis Roosevelt 1849 12 21 December 21 1849New York City New York U S DiedDecember 30 1886 1886 12 30 aged 37 New York City New York U S NationalityAmericanOccupation s Organ builder and telecommunication engineerSpouseKatherine Shippen 1883 1886 ChildrenDorothy Quincy RooseveltParentSilas Weir Roosevelt amp Mary WestRelativesTheodore Roosevelt Franklin D RooseveltLife editRoosevelt was born in New York City to Silas Weir Roosevelt a son of Cornelius Roosevelt and Mary West 1 2 He was thus a cousin of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D Roosevelt Roosevelt did not take to either business or politics the traditional Roosevelt family occupations Instead he was musically and mechanically inclined and wanted to be an organ builder from early childhood entering an apprenticeship at an organ factory He later traveled to Europe for further training in the field 3 His relatives frowned upon a mechanical occupation but when he began to make money his family was reassured Roosevelt was particularly interested in the electric action organ and was one of the first to study the application of new electrical devices to the manufacture of organ actions He took out the first patent in the United States for an electric action for the pipe organ when he was 20 and built the first electric action organ in the United States 4 for the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition Though primarily interested in the technical aspects he had a good deal of business acumen as well establishing factories in New York City Philadelphia and Baltimore Hilborne founded the Roosevelt Pipe Organ Builders in 1870 with his brother Frank and built some of the largest organs in the United States during his career Roosevelt was also widely known among electricians for inventing several details of the telephone including the automatic switch hook 5 for which he received royalties for many years even though Thomas A Watson claimed to be the first 6 7 and held an interest in the Bell Telephone Company 3 Personal life editRoosevelt married Katherine Shippen on February 1 1883 and had one child Dorothy Quincy Roosevelt born 1884 He died at his home in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan at the age of 37 on December 30 1886 8 References edit Schriftgiesser Karl 1942 The Amazing Roosevelt Family 1613 1942 Wildred Funk Inc Whittelsey Charles B 1902 The Roosevelt Genealogy 1649 1902 Hartford Conn Press of J B Burr amp co a b Isa Carrington Cabell 1900 Roosevelt Nicholas I Appletons Cyclopaedia of American Biography Ochse Orpha Caroline 1988 The History of the Organ in the United States Bloomington amp Indianapolis Indiana University Press p 265 ISBN 9780253204950 US Patent 215 837 H L Roosevelt Telephone Switch Patented May 27 1879 Watson Thomas A 1926 Exploring Life The Autobiography of Thomas A Watson New York D Appleton and company p 132 Ivanov Aleksandr Priklyucheniya Tomasa Vatsona telhistory ru Muzej Istorii Telefona Hilborne L Roosevelt Dead The New York Times December 31 1886 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hilborne Roosevelt amp oldid 1180907684, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
