| Frank Lusk Babbott | |
| Birth Name: | Frank Lusk Babbott |
| Birth Date: | 14 August 1854 |
| Birth Place: | Waterville, New York, US |
| Death Place: | New York City, US |
| Occupation: | Jute merchant, art collector, patron, and philanthropist |
| Known For: | Babbott Field and Babbott Avenue, both in Waterville, New York, named in his honor |
Frank Lusk Babbott (August 14, 1854 - December 7, 1933) was an American jute merchant, art collector, patron, and philanthropist.
Babbott was born in Waterville, New York on August 14, 1854, the son of Miller Babbott and Mary Elizabeth Crandall.[1]
He was a childhood friend of George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak.[2]
He was educated at Amherst College, graduating in the class of 1878.[3] He then studied at Columbia University, graduating with an LLB in 1880.
Babbott was Director of Chelsea Jute Mills from 1883 to 1901. He was a member of the Brooklyn Board of Education, and president of the Brooklyn Free Kindergarten Society.
He was a trustee of various organisations:
He was vice-president of the New York Board of Education, 1902–1904.
Babbott died on December 7, 1933, at his home at 149 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn.[6]
Babbott's family home was 153 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, New York. They also owned an estate at Glen Cove, Long Island, advertised for sale in 2008 at $4.2 million.
Babbott married Lydia Richardson Pratt (1857–1904), daughter of Standard Oil magnate Charles Pratt on February 18, 1886.[7]
They had four children:
A public park (Babbott Field) and a street (Babbott Avenue), both in Waterville, New York, were named in his honor. The Babbott Room in the Octagon at Amherst College was named in memory of him.
He left a bequest of over $540,000 to Vassar College to establish the Lydia Richardson Babbott Endowment.[5]
The Frank L. Babbott Chair of Literature & The Arts at Packer Collegiate Institute is named in his honour, established by his family in 1977.