Ansley Wilcox

Ansley Wilcox (January 27, 1856 – January 26, 1930) was an American scholar, Oxford graduate, prominent lawyer, civil service reform commissioner, New York political insider and friend of Theodore Roosevelt. After the assassination of William McKinley, on September 14, 1901, Vice President Roosevelt was sworn in as 26th president of the United States in the library of Wilcox's home at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York.

Early life Ansley Wilcox was born in Summerville, Augusta, Georgia, on January 27, 1856, to Frances Louisa (née Ansley) and Daniel H. Wilcox. Wilcox's mother was from the South and his father from the North. During the Civil War his family moved to Connecticut. Wilcox attended preparatory school at the Hopkins School before attending Yale, where he ultimately studied law. After graduating from Yale in 1874, Wilcox traveled to London where he attended Oxford University for one year. He was then admitted to the bar. that established the constitutionality of the Civil Service Law.

In 1891, Wilcox took the landmark case of Briggs v. Spaulding to the Supreme Court and with it, established the liability for negligence of directors of national banks. The case, which was decided on May 25, 1891, involved the First National Bank of Buffalo and its directors, Reuben Porter Lee, Francis E. Coit, Elbridge G. Spaulding, William H. Johnson, and Thomas W. Cushing. The case was brought by Anne Vought as executrix of John H. Vought, and Frank S. Coit and Joseph C. Barnes, as administrators of Charles C. Coit, former directors. with Wilcox serving as counsel for the commission from 1883 to 1885. Wilcox's involvement in the park ended after prolonged legal battle with Robert Moses concerning the administration of the reservation. Moses aimed to commandeer the Niagara commission, which Wilcox chaired, in order to garner more power for himself as head of the New York Department for Parks. Moses wrongly and maliciously accused Wilcox of corrupt practices concerning Wilcox's method of garnering assistance from Paul A. Schoellkopf, head of the Niagara Falls Power Company to purchase parcels of land when they went up for sale so they could be ensured for park use . In the midst of this legal battle Wilcox was forced to resign due to his waning health leaving the door open for Moses to take power over the Niagara commission by appointing his recommended replacement for Wilcox's position as chair. During Moses reign as State Parks council chairman Moses systematically removed every plaque mentioning Wilcox's contribution to the park and replaced them with plaques bearing Mose's name leaving the impression Mose's was the visionary who brought the park to life, not Wilcox and the Niagara commission.

On September 6, 1901, while attending the Pan-American Exposition, anarchist Leon Czolgosz twice shot President William McKinley. McKinley's Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt, was in Isle la Motte, Vermont when word of the assassination attempt reached him. He hurried to Buffalo intending to stay at the Iroquois Hotel, however on his way inside he was stopped to speak to Ansley Wilcox who offered the vice president the use of his home on Delaware Ave. Early doctor's reports on the president's condition were positive, so much so that Roosevelt was encouraged to leave Buffalo as a show of confidence in the president's recovery. He resumed his planned schedule which included a family camping and hiking trip to Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks. On September 13, McKinley's condition worsened and word was sent to the vice president. By the time a runner finally caught up with him at the top of the mountain, the sun was beginning to set. Not wanting to simply show up in Buffalo and wait on McKinley's death, Roosevelt was pondering with his wife, Edith, how best to respond to this turn of events, when additional news reached him that McKinley would soon die. Roosevelt was rushed by a series of stagecoaches to North Creek train station. At the station, Roosevelt was handed a telegram that said only that the president had died at 2:15 am. Turning the telegram upside down and reading it again, Roosevelt expressed a sense of helplessness that the telegram contained no additional information and said only that McKinley had died at 2:15 am on the morning of the 14th. Officially having learned that he was now President of the United States, Roosevelt continued by train from North Creek to Buffalo. Roosevelt arrived in Buffalo later that same day, accepting an invitation to stay at Wilcox's home again. Wilcox would recall that "the family and most of the household were in the country, but he [Roosevelt] was offered a quiet place to sleep and eat, and accepted it."

For the actual swearing in, the most appropriate site was determined to be the Wilcox home. Approximately 50 dignitaries, family members and six of the eight cabinet members gathered in the front library for the inauguration. Mark Hanna lamented that "that damned cowboy is president now," giving expression to the fears of many old line Republicans.

Politics A visit of President William Howard Taft to Wilcox's Buffalo home in April 1910. Taft is seen front center, Philander C. Knox (right), and Wilcox (behind Taft to the right). Though he never ran for public office, Wilcox was very interested in politics and was a friend of at least three presidents, Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. In the early 1890s, Wilcox first proposed the idea of holding local elections during odd numbered years to avoid conflict with state and federal elections during even numbered years and was adopted at the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1894. In 1884, Wilcox, an independent Republican, broke ranks and voted for Democrat Grover Cleveland in the presidential election. In 1904, he supported Theodore Roosevelt, but in the election of 1912, he threw his support to Republican incumbent Taft, rather than his old friend Roosevelt, who had left the Republican party and was running on the Progressive Party ticket.

Personal life While he was studying in England at Oxford, he met Cornelia C. Rumsey (1854-1880), a young woman from Buffalo on holiday with her family. After Oxford, he moved to Buffalo and married Cornelia on January 17, 1878. Cornelia "Nina" Rumsey Wilcox (1880-1968), was a pioneer in body psychotherapy and a mentor to Stanley Keleman. On November 20, 1883, Ansley Wilcox married Cornelia’s younger sister, Mary G. Rumsey (1855-1933).

Ansely Wilcox died of throat cancer on January 26, 1930, one day before his 74th birthday. He is buried in the Rumsey plot in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Associations and civic activities Wilcox founded the Charity Organization Society in 1877 and served as its president. "The Assassination of William McKinley" of the American History Hit Podcast mentions the inauguration at the Wilcox mansion.