Isaac Roosevelt 1726-1794

Industrial/Commercial Leader

Isaac Roosevelt was the first Roosevelt to attain sufficient prominence to warrant inclusion in the Prominent Dutch American listings. He was the great great-grandfather of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president of the United States. He was the son of Jacobus Roosevelt [1692-1776], head of the Roosevelt Hyde Park Branch, grandson of Nicholas Roosevelt [1658-1742] and great grandson of Claes Maartenszoon van Rosenvelt, the immigrant from the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands. The latter one came to the United States in 1649 and passed away in 1659.

Roosevelt was one of the first sugar refiners in New York City [NYC], and built one of the first sugar refineries in the city. As a wealthy industrialist he was one of the first members of the NYC Chamber of Commerce, organized in 1768. He was also one of the original incorporators of the first public hospital in NYC.

Roosevelt was also a cofounder of the Bank of New York in 1784, and became its second president from 1786 to 1791.

Roosevelt was elected to the New York Provincial Congress in 1975, and was one of a Committee of 100 who took control of the state government in 1775 during the tumultuous independence period.

After the War of Independence, Roosevelt took part in the New York State Convention at Poughkeepsie in 1788. The convention deliberated on the adoption of the United States Constitution. He was also a member of the New York State Senate from 1777 to 1786 and from 1789 to 1792.

Isaac Roosevelt was married to Cornelia Hoffman on September 22, 1752. The couple had ten children, one of whom was Jacobus Roosevelt III [1760-1847]. Jacobus was the great great- grandfather of President F. D. Roosevelt. Isaac Roosevelt passed away in October 1794 at the age of 67.

For more details on his Roosevelt family relationships see the appendix at the end of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s personal bio profile.

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