Thomas Welton Stanford
Thomas Welton Stanford | |
---|---|
Born | 1832 Albany, New York, US |
Died | 28 August 1918 Melbourne, Australia | (aged 85–86)
Nationality | American/Australian |
Occupation | businessperson |
Known for | businessperson; spiritualist; philanthropist |
Thomas Welton Stanford (1832–1918), also known as Welton Stanford, was an American-born Australian businessman, spiritualist and philanthropist, most notably toward Stanford University, which was founded by his older brother Leland Stanford. Although living most of his adult life in Australia, he kept his American citizenship and served intermittently as honorary American vice consul-general in Melbourne.
Biography
Thomas Welton Stanford was born in 1832 in
In Australia, he became a distributor for Singer sewing machines and achieved record sales, using innovative sales techniques such as time payment. By the time Singer stopped using independent distributors in the 1880s, Stanford was a wealthy man. He became increasingly reclusive after DeWitt's death and developed a strong interest in spiritualism. He founded the Victorian Association of Progressive Spiritualists, together with W. H. Terry and J. B. Motherwell, and sponsored many séances, becoming known as the "father of spiritualism in Australia".[2]
He served on the board of trustees of
He died 28 August 1918, at his home in East Melbourne, and left the bulk of his estate to Stanford University. His papers are housed in the university archives.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Series 12 Thomas Welton Stanford [1832–1918] Papers". Online Archives of California. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ a b c Potts, E. Daniel. "Thomas Welton Stanford (1832–1918)". Stanford, Thomas Welton (1832–1918). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
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ignored (help) - ^ "Memorial Resolution: Thomas Welton Stanford, 1832–1918" (PDF). Board of Trustees. Stanford University. Retrieved 25 August 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Stanford University (1919). New Building of the Stanford University Library and a History of the Library 1891–1919. Stanford University.
stanford library.
- ^ "1917: Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery is compleated". Xtimeline. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Thomas Welton Stanford Art Gallery". Department of Art and Art History. Stanford University. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ISBN 9781615284054.
- ^ a b "History of the Department of Psychology". Stanford University. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
Further reading
- Thomas Welton Stanford (1832–1918) and American‐Australian business and cultural relations, by E. Daniel Potts and Annette Potts, Historical Studies, Volume 17, Issue 67, pp. 193–209, 1976.