William Henry Eustis

William Henry Eustis (July 17, 1845 – November 30, 1928) was the 17th mayor of Minneapolis, Republican nominee for Governor of Minnesota in 1898, and a philanthropist.

Biography Eustis was born in Jefferson County, New York on July 17, 1845. When he was 15 years old, he contracted a hip disease, which required him to walk with a cane and then with crutches. Eustis graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut in 1873 and then got his law degree from Columbia Law School the next year. He moved to Minneapolis in 1881 and started dealing in real estate, becoming more well known as an owner of downtown buildings than as an attorney. He served as the mayor of Minneapolis for one term, 1893 through 1895.

He would run for governor twice. First in 1896, he failed to secure the nomination. In 1898 he would win the Republican primary, but lose the election itself.

Later in life, he began to think about donating much of his wealth to charity, facetiously calling it "mostly unearned increment." The hospital included an outpatient department, two floors of rooms for inpatient treatment, space for an on-site school, and an amphitheater for teaching purposes. The university eventually named the hospital after Eustis to recognize his generosity. He was buried in Lakewood Cemetery.

When the Mayo Memorial Building on campus was completed in 1954, the Eustis Hospital, along with Elliot Hospital, were incorporated into the structure.

Electoral history Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1892 William H. Eustis 17,910 James C. Haynes 15,728 Charles M. Way 1,842 Theodore F. Stark 1,665