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William Wilson Corcoran, 1798-1888
Born Washington, D.C.
The banker, philanthropist, and art collector William Wilson Corcoran established deep roots in Washington, D.C. The son of an Irish immigrant who operated a leather business in Georgetown, he attended Georgetown College (now Georgetown University) and later became a clerk at the Georgetown branch of the Bank of Columbia and a manager at the Bank of the United States. In 1840, Corcoran co-founded the private banking firm Corcoran and Riggs with his partner George Washington Riggs. In addition to the bank's success, profits from the sale of U.S. Treasury Mexican War bonds enabled Corcoran to retire in 1854 at the age of fifty-six.
While continuing to pursue investments, he devoted much of his energy to art patronage and philanthropy. Although best remembered for founding the art gallery that bore his name, Corcoran was also a major benefactor of the Oak Hill Cemetery, George Washington University, Mount Vernon, and other area institutions.
H.B. Hall and Sons, c 1882 |