century association biographical archive

Earliest Members of the Century Association

View all members

Eli Whitney

Bank Director

Centurion, 1895–1924

Born 22 January 1847 in New Haven, Connecticut

Died 12 June 1924 in New Haven, Connecticut

Buried Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven, Connecticut

Proposed by Allen W. Evarts and Othniel C. Marsh

Elected 1 June 1895 at age forty-eight

Archivist’s Note: Father-in-law of Thomas M. Debevoise; grandfather of Eli Whitney Debevoise; great-grandfather of Thomas M. Debevoise

Century Memorial

Eli Whitney, direct descendant of the inventor of the cotton gin, made his home in the city of New Haven, where his celebrated ancestor graduated from Yale University in 1792. The call of practical affairs had diverted the elder Whitney from the law practice which had been selected for him to invention and business administration. The descendant inherited this quality; he was one of the leading bankers and business men of his city, director in a long list of banks, railways, manufacturing and utility companies and president of several of them. He had been actively engaged in state and municipal politics, and had held public offices on several occasions.

Alexander Dana Noyes
1925 Century Association Yearbook