Arthur Leary

Arthur Leary (1830 – February 22, 1893) was an American merchant and clubman who was prominent in New York society during the Gilded Age.

Early life Leary was born in 1830 in New York City. He was the eldest child born to Catharine Leary (1803–1879) and James Leary (1792–1862), a hatter who was a childhood friend of William Backhouse Astor Sr. He had two brothers, Daniel and George, and a sister, Annie. His father James bought many beaver pelts from William's father, John Jacob Astor, and operated a hat shop, that made him a fortune, in the basement of the original Astor House Hotel across from New York City Hall.

Career Leary started his career in the counting house of Bache McEvers, a prominent shipping merchant who was president of the New-York Insurance Company and a brother-in-law of Minister Edward Livingston. In a few years, Leary became a partner in the business and upon McEvers death in 1851, he formed a partnership with Sir Edward Cunard (the son of Sir Samuel Cunard, founder of the Cunard Line, and the husband of McEvers' daughter Mary). The partnership ended and Leary "assumed full charge of the shipping business." the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, the Park National Bank (of which he was vice-president), the New York Natural Gaslight Company (of which he was president), and the New York Mutual Life Insurance Company. Conveniently, 400 was the number of people that could fit into Mrs. Astor's ballroom. Reportedly, it was the Leary's friendship with the Astors that led to Arthur being the only Catholic included on Mrs. Astor's list of "The 400". Leart was known as a "Beau Brummell in society when the fashionable world centered about Washington Square," and was one of McAllister's original Patriarchs. His funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral and he was buried at the churchyard of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral.

After his death, his sister Annie was the executrix of his estate, and inherited his fortune as well as his social prominence, using his wealth to become a philanthropist (mostly to Catholic causes) and earning her the title of Papal Countess from Pope Leo XIII, the first for an American woman.