Henry Grinnell (1799-1874)
Shipping Merchant, of New York; 1st President of the American Geographical Society
He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and moved to New York City in his youth where he entered the shipping business. He joined the firm of H.H. Williams & Co., before eventually becoming a partner in Grinnell, Minturn & Co. (the senior partners were his brother and brother-in-law) which had quickly become one of America’s most prosperous shipping lines. They operated a fleet of 50 packet ships and clipper ships noted for their speed and size that transported goods and passengers principally between New York and Liverpool and New York and London. By the 1840s, he had accumulated substantial wealth and turned his attention to Arctic exploration.
When Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to find the Northwest Passage disappeared, Grinnell became deeply concerned. In 1850, he personally financed the First Grinnell Expedition, led by Edwin De Haven, to search for Franklin and his crew. Though unsuccessful in finding Franklin, the expedition contributed valuable geographical and scientific knowledge, and in 1851 he co-founded and served as the first President of the American Geographical and Statistical Society. In 1853, he sponsored the Second Grinnell Expedition under Elisha Kent Kane, which explored the Kane Basin and advanced knowledge of the Arctic region. These expeditions, funded entirely at Grinnell's expense, cemented his reputation as one of America's foremost supporters of polar exploration and Grinnell Land in the Canadian Arctic was named in his honor. Beyond Arctic ventures, Grinnell was also involved in various charitable and civic activities in New York.
When Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to find the Northwest Passage disappeared, Grinnell became deeply concerned. In 1850, he personally financed the First Grinnell Expedition, led by Edwin De Haven, to search for Franklin and his crew. Though unsuccessful in finding Franklin, the expedition contributed valuable geographical and scientific knowledge, and in 1851 he co-founded and served as the first President of the American Geographical and Statistical Society. In 1853, he sponsored the Second Grinnell Expedition under Elisha Kent Kane, which explored the Kane Basin and advanced knowledge of the Arctic region. These expeditions, funded entirely at Grinnell's expense, cemented his reputation as one of America's foremost supporters of polar exploration and Grinnell Land in the Canadian Arctic was named in his honor. Beyond Arctic ventures, Grinnell was also involved in various charitable and civic activities in New York.
