Ernest Robinson Ackerman

Ernest Robinson Ackerman (June 17, 1863 – October 18, 1931) was an American businessman, philatelist and Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1906 to 1912 and in the United States House of Representatives from 1919 to 1931.

Early life and business career Ernest Robinson Ackerman was born in New York City on June 17, 1863 to J. Hervey Ackerman and Ellen (née Morgan) Ackerman. His ancestors included multiple participants in the American Revolution. He moved with his parents to Plainfield, New Jersey, where his father served as president of the common council and as a city judge.

He was educated at public schools and graduated from Plainfield High School in 1880. After his graduation, he traveled to England with George E. Vincent, who later became president of the University of Minnesota and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Business As a young man, Ackerman worked at the Lawrence Cement Company, which later became the Lawrence Portland Cement Company. He eventually became its president. According to his wishes, the umbrella was donated to the Plainfield Public Library upon his death.

Personal life and death Ackerman married Nora L. Weber on February 11, 1892. In September 1907, they attended the maiden voyage of the Cunard liner RMS Lusitania from Liverpool to New York.

Ackerman was a member of the New Jersey Geological Survey and associate of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was a member of the board of trustees of Rutgers College, New Brunswick, a director of the YMCA, and a member of the Boy Scouts Council. In New York City, he belonged to the Union League Club and India House, a private club for men engaged in global commerce, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants Association, serving on its committee on commercial law and city traffic. He was a generous donor to the YMCA, the Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church, and Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield.

Philately Ackerman was a famous philatelist and he won many awards for his stamp collections and exhibits of postal stamps and postal history. He was known for his famous collections of British Guiana and Spain, but he was regarded as an expert in postage stamps and postal history of the United States. His U.S. collection included scarce carrier and local stamps, United States Department stamps, and U.S. essays and proofs. On one occasion, his search took him to San Marino, where he discovered a letter from Abraham Lincoln to the captains regent of the principality.

At the time of his death, his collection was valued at over $1 million (approximately $ million today). A part of his valuable United States collection was bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. Ackerman was named to the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame in 2000.

Death and burial Ackerman died in Plainfield on October 18, 1931 of heart disease after spending a few days ill at home. His funeral was held at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church in Plainfield, and he was buried in the family plot in Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains.