Albert Russel Erskine (b1871)
From FindaGrave |
This Studebaker Erskine roadster was named after Albert Russel Erskine (from FindaGrave) |
Photo from Ancestry.com |
| Born: | January 24, 1871, Huntsville, AL |
| Died: | July 1, 1933, South Bend, IN |
| Buried: | Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, AL |
| Residence: | 527 Franklin Street SE |
| Hotel: | Hotel Russel Esrkine | - Named for Albert Russel Erskine |
| Nephew of: | Dr. Albert Russel Erskine (b1827) |
| Grandson of: | Dr. Alexander Erskine (b1791) |
| Grandson of: | Susan Catharine Russel Erskine | - His great-grandfather was Albert Russel |
Notes:
• Russel is sometimes spelled Russell (with two l's) - Editor's note:
• "As president of the Studebaker Corporation from 1915 to 1933, he literally guided the Studebaker company from the 'horse and buggy' days into the position of a major player in modern auto production." - Find A Grave
• "He was educated in the public and private schools of Alabama and received his CPA (Certified Public Accountant) certificate in Connecticut in 1908." - Marks
• "Albert Russel Erskine lived most of his adult life in South Bend, Indiana, but he was born in Huntsville in 1871 and lived here until he was 27. At the age of 15 he began work as an office boy for $15 per month in a Huntsville railroad office. He later became chief bookkeeper in that office for $65 per month, then he moved to St. Louis to become chief clerk for the American Cotton Company. There he soon became General Auditor and Manager of Operations over 300 cotton gins in the South. From 1905 through 1910 he was Treasurer and Member of the Board of Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, then becoming a Vice-President and Member of the Board of Directors for the Underwood Typewriter Company." - Heritage
• "After exhaustive investigation both abroad and in this country, followed by the building of 15 experimental chassis and bodies and countless road tests at Studebaker's million dollar proving ground, a remarkable new-type car evolved by Studebaker engineers. Because Mr. Erskine was primarily responsible for the development of this evolutionary new car, the board of directors of the Studebaker Corporation unanimously decreed that it should be named the 'Erskine Six'." - Erskine Registry
• Only six of the 1927 Studebaker Erskine Roadster Model 50J with rumble seat are known to exist worldwide today. - Erskine Registry
• Erskine developed and named his estate in South Bend the Twyckenham Hills. Some believe he named it after the old name of his hometown, Twickenham, even though there was a variation in the spelling. His mansion became part of St. Mary's Academy for Girls when his widow died. - Heritage
• "When a group of Huntsville businessmen ran into financial problems in constructing a hotel in Huntsville, he provided the means to finish the project. However, one stipulation was that the name of the hotel be changed to the Russell Erskine. The hotel, when opened, was the finest in north Alabama and it has remained a prominent feature of the Huntsville skyline." - Marks
• The Hotel Russel Erskine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. - Find A Grave
• "He served on the Board of Trustees at Notre Dame University where he initiated the Albert Russel Erskine Award which designated a panel to choose the best college football team of the year. The award was the forerunner of the method used today in deciding the collegiate champion." - Find A Grave
• Record lists the accomplishments mentioned in other resources and adds: Director, Federal Reserve Bank, Chicago, 1918. - Record
• "The 1929 stock market crash and the ensuing depression caused Erskine to lose almost everything in a matter of just four years. To start over seemed an overwhelming task. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his heart." - Find A Grave
• Son of William Michael Erskine (1847-1895) and Ursula "Sue" Dudley Ragland (1850-1915). His parents were married in 1869. His parents are mentioned in various sources, but few details are offered in most accounts. They might have moved to Texas for awhile. His father might have been connected with the Fearns in their efforts with Huntsville's canal. - Editor's note:
• "He was the grandson of Dr. Alexander Erskine (1791-1857) and Susan Catharine Russel (1805-1892). They were married in 1819. He was the Great-grandson of Albert Russel (1755-1818), a Revolutionary war soldier, and his wife Anne Frances Harris." - Ancestry.com
• On Nov. 25, 1903 Erskine married 27-year-old Annie Garland Lyell of Huntington, West Virginia. Byers describes her in his article. - Byers
• Dr. Roberts was impressed with David Byers' talent in finding information for Albert Russel Erskines' son. Researchers had thought he had a son, but confirmation was elusive. This is part of what Byers' included in his article: "A son, Albert Russel Erskine, called 'Russ' and sometimes listed as Jr., born in 1909, was adopted by the Erskines at the age of six." - Byers
• The Erskine lineages are difficult to research. In his article, David Byers shared a quote from John Rison Jones, Jr.: "In this family there were six Albert Russel Erskines born between 1827 and 1911.
1. Dr. Albert Russel Erskine, 1827-1903.
2. Albert Russel Erskine, 1857-1934, the son of #1.
3. Albert Russel Erskine, 1871-1933, the grandson of Dr. Alexander Erskine and the subject of this article.
4. Albert Russel Erskine, born 1882, the nephew of #1 and the son of Alexander O. Erskine, # 1's brother.
5. Albert Russel Erskine, Jr., born 1909, adopted son of #3.
6. Albert Russel Erskine, 1911-1993, the son of #2 and the great-grandson of #1. He had a successful career as an editor for Random House publishers, working with James Michener, William Faulkner, John O'Hara, and Robert Penn Warren."
And we might add that does not include the other similar names or names including two of the three names in the list above. We were confused until we found this list in David Byers article. - Byers
• Donated the Erskine Addition to Maple Hill in 1918 and the stone entranceway in 1916 in memory of his mother, Sue Ragland Erskine. - About.com
Related Links:
• About.com - List of people buried in Maple Hill Cemetery. (Originally found at http://huntsville.about.com/library/blank/blmaple2.htm.)
• Ancestry.com - Biographical and Genealogical information posted by Judy Erskine (Behind Ancestry.com membership fee wall)
• Application - U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications (information behind Ancestry.com's membership fee wall) (Originally found at http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=2204&path=180.222.)
• Byers - Albert Russel Erskine, by David Byers, from Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 24, #2, Jul 97, pages 11-20
• Dickerson & Marks - Albert Russel Erskine, Huntsville "Boy Who Made Good", by Dickerson, G. & Marks, H.S., from Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 4, #4 & 5, #1, Oct. 74, Jan. 75, pages 33-9.
• eBay - Buy your Studebakers and memorabilia here!
• Erskine Registry - Photos of old Studebaker Erskine autos
• Find A Grave - The biography with photos was created by Graveaddiction and posted on May 18, 2004.
• Flickr - Photo of Erskine Hotel taken by "Jer*ry" on January 18, 2010
• Flickr: Moonrise - Photo of Erskine tomb at night taken by "Jer*ry" December 4, 2006.
• Flickr: Tomb - Tomb photo taken by "King Kong 911" on May 4, 2010.
• Flickr:Studebakers - Studebaker photos by MR38.
• From Horses to Horsepower - Short Bio
• Heritage - The Heritage of Madison County, AL by Madison County Heritage Book Committee, written by John P. Rankin, printed in 1998, pp. 178-9.
• History.com - Bio (Originally found at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/albert-erskine-studebaker-chief-is-born.)
• Marks - Alabama Past Leaders, by Henry S. and Marsha Kass Marks, © 1982, p. 92
• Record - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume 1, by James Record, © 1970, p. 341.
• Webshots - Photo of Erskine's house in South Bend, Indiana by "lstude64". Erskine was living in the house when he died. (Originally found at http://family.webshots.com/photo/2669683860090795307cgMfGZ.)
• Wikipedia - Bio
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• 527 Franklin Street SE
• Byers
• Dickerson & Marks
• Dr. Albert Russel Erskine (b1827)
• Dr. Alexander Erskine (b1791)
• Hotel Russel Esrkine
• Record
• Susan Catharine Russel Erskine