Event Title
Hetty Green: The Witch of Wall Street
Location
Diamond 342
Start Date
30-4-2015 3:47 PM
End Date
30-4-2015 3:55 PM
Project Type
Presentation
Description
Henrietta Howland Hetty Green died in 1916 with a fortune of over $100,000,000. Largely forgotten by history, Hetty Green was the first female millionaire in the United States, amassing a fortune large enough to rival those of the male legends of the Gilded Age. Born in 1834, her father raised her to have a mind for business and when he died, she inherited his whaling fortune. Through investments in war bonds, railroads, real estate and other financial schemes, Hetty Green built up a legendary fortune that had her known as the richest woman in America. Her legacy is somewhat mixed however, due to her famous miserliness. Perhaps due in part to her Quaker roots, she refused to spend any large amount of her wealth, earning her the nickname the Witch of Wall Street. A complex character who never left anything but a strong impression, Hetty Green managed to accomplish what no women in the nation had done before.
Faculty Sponsor
Elizabeth Leonard
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. History Dept.
CLAS Field of Study
Social Sciences
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
998
Hetty Green: The Witch of Wall Street
Diamond 342
Henrietta Howland Hetty Green died in 1916 with a fortune of over $100,000,000. Largely forgotten by history, Hetty Green was the first female millionaire in the United States, amassing a fortune large enough to rival those of the male legends of the Gilded Age. Born in 1834, her father raised her to have a mind for business and when he died, she inherited his whaling fortune. Through investments in war bonds, railroads, real estate and other financial schemes, Hetty Green built up a legendary fortune that had her known as the richest woman in America. Her legacy is somewhat mixed however, due to her famous miserliness. Perhaps due in part to her Quaker roots, she refused to spend any large amount of her wealth, earning her the nickname the Witch of Wall Street. A complex character who never left anything but a strong impression, Hetty Green managed to accomplish what no women in the nation had done before.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/313