Robert Todd Lincoln

Robert Todd Lincoln. He was the first-born son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, and the only one of their four children to survive into adulthood. A prominent figure in his own right, he built a distinguished career as a corporate attorney, United States Secretary of War, and diplomat, while also being connected to several tragic events in American history.

Early life and education

Born in Springfield, Illinois, he was named for his maternal grandfather, Robert Smith Todd. His early years were spent in the Illinois State Capitol before his family moved to Washington, D.C. upon his father's election to the presidency. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire before enrolling at Harvard University, where he graduated in 1864. He briefly studied at Harvard Law School but left to join the Union Army in the final months of the American Civil War, serving as a captain on the staff of General Ulysses S. Grant.

Legal and business career

After the war, he completed his legal studies and was admitted to the bar in Chicago. He developed a highly successful corporate law practice, representing major clients like the Pullman Company, where he eventually became general counsel. His business acumen led to directorships in several corporations, and he served as president of the Pullman Company following the death of George Pullman, successfully navigating it through the aftermath of the violent Pullman Strike.

Political and diplomatic service

His political career began with an appointment as United States Secretary of War by President James A. Garfield in 1881. He continued in the role under President Chester A. Arthur, modernizing the United States Army and overseeing the early construction of the Washington Monument. Later, President Benjamin Harrison appointed him as the United States Minister to the United Kingdom, where he served from 1889 to 1893, fostering strong relations during the Bering Sea arbitration and other diplomatic matters.

Family and personal life

In 1868, he married Mary Eunice Harlan, daughter of United States Senator James Harlan. They had three children: Mamie Lincoln Isham, Abraham Lincoln II (who died in adolescence), and Jessie Harlan Lincoln. He was notably present at or associated with the assassinations of three presidents: his father, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley, a macabre coincidence that led him to decline further presidential invitations. He was a dedicated steward of his father's legacy, overseeing the collection of his papers and intervening to prevent the execution of the conspirator Mary Surratt's son.

Later years and death

After his diplomatic service, he returned to his corporate law practice in Chicago. He retired to Hildene, his estate in Manchester, Vermont, where he pursued interests in farming and astronomy. In his final years, he was the chairman of the board of the Pullman Company until its merger. He died at Hildene in 1926 and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery in a tomb designed by the architect John Russell Pope, separate from the rest of his family.