349:
college as planned, so providing the educational scholarships was the closest alternative – although a college should be built if the fund grew to become large enough to cover the costs. By 2012, McKee
Scholarships had been granted to over 1,000 orphaned boys. Although the college was never built, and the equestrian statue was never created, in 2012 the scholarship committee obtained court permission to use a small amount of the funds to erect a tombstone with McKee's and his eife's names, with an image of a man on horseback.
345:. Theophilus had a light complexion. He changed his name to T. John McKee and let people think that he was white. He cut off relations with his family and married a white woman with whom he had two children. In the 1940s, however, after all his siblings and first cousins had died, he sued for a portion of his grandfather McKee's estate that had not been distributed. T. John McKee was able to prove that he was McKee's heir, but died before receiving the money.
228:, a 4,000-acre planned community where African Americans from the south could settle after the Civil War. The city included a schoolhouse, church, and a number of dormitory-type houses. The houses in McKee City were well-built but simple without frills like inside plumbing or heating. Leases were carefully designed to ensure that the tenants improved the land. McKee had great plans for the settlement, but died before they could be realized.
348:
McKee's great-grandchildren disputed the will, but in
October 1952 Judge Robert V. Bolger dismissed their claims. He decided that the remaining estate, now worth just over $ 1 million, would be used to provide scholarships for orphaned black and white boys. There was not sufficient money to build the
260:
on April 6, 1902, and was buried at Olivet
Cemetery. He was survived by his daughter, Mrs. Abbie P. Syphax, and six grandsons. He was reported to be the richest of African Americans when he died. Newspapers speculated that his fortune was anything from $ 1,500,000 to $ 4,000,000, a huge amount at the
324:
The planned "Colonel John McKee's
College" was to be built only after all McKee's children and grandchildren had died. While they lived, they were to gain income from part of his estate. The college would provide naval training for poor orphaned boys from Philadelphia and its surroundings, black or
328:
The will was disputed, and Abbie gained $ 26,500 from
Colonel McKee's will while Henry McKee Minton got $ 25,000 – large sums at the time. Eventually Abbie got $ 110,000 in exchange for releasing all rights. When she remarried in 1904 she was reported to be "the richest colored woman in this city,
208:
McKee seems to have been or become very tight-fisted, spending no money on his office, or on repairs to his houses. According to one person who knew him, "he viewed life and individuals from only one standpoint, and that was what it and they were worth to him personally." A newspaper reporting his
137:
around 1821. An 1838 registration in
Alexandria describes him as "a bright mulatto boy, about 19 years old, 5 feet 4½ inches tall, who is straight built with light colored eyes. He was born free, as appears by oaths of Betsey Beckley and Fanny Beckley." He was indentured to a bricklayer while a
270:
154:. He became a waiter, working for James Prosser, who owned a successful restaurant on Market Street in Philadelphia. He married Emeline, Prosser's daughter, and ran the restaurant until 1866, when he moved into property speculation. McKee is said to have fought during the
325:
white. An equestrian statue of
Colonel McKee would be set up in front of the college. McKee left a photograph of himself for the sculptor to use in creating the statue, which was to be in bronze and to carry the inscription "Colonel John McKee, Founder of this College."
35:
290:, was to be used "to build a Catholic church, rectory and convent in McKee City, New Jersey and ... to build and maintain a charitable institution in Philadelphia for the education of both white and colored male orphans."
185:, McKee provided them with cheap housing in exchange for rents and for the titles on property that the former slaves had been granted in the South. McKee's expanded his holdings from housing in Philadelphia to acreage in
281:
When
Colonel McKee died, he left his daughter Abbie a shabby house and a legacy of just $ 300, and $ 50 for each of her children. Henry McKee Minton was also given $ 50, with most of the rest going to the
209:
death described him as "a man absolutely devoid of sentiment." McKee eventually owned between 300 and 400 houses in
Philadelphia. Other properties included about 300,000 acres of coal and oil land in
301:
in 1896. He was turned away by other white caregivers, but
Catholic nuns were willing to minister to him and to other African Americans. He also requested in his will to receive a funeral at the
302:
1000:
1010:
990:
975:
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727:
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17:
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217:, 21 acres near Philadelphia's Fifty Street and Oregon Avenue in Philadelphia, and extensive acreage on the
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118:
1005:
965:
334:
286:. The $ 2 million bequest, to be administered by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia headed by Archbishop
970:
190:
134:
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52:
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728:"Colonel John McKee, Unsung Hero of Fatherless Boys in Need Of Scholarships, Finally Gets Tombstone"
237:
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309:. This did not occur, however, since the will was not read until after he was already given a
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274:
197:. He then sold some of the southern property and bought more land in Philadelphia and land in
110:
929:
880:
Archbishop Patrick John Ryan His Life and Times: Ireland - St. Louis - Philadelphia 1831-1911
236:
McKee had two daughters. Jennie married the lawyer Sawyer Theophilus Minton and had one son,
758:
696:
306:
198:
829:
William Dorsey's Philadelphia and Ours: On the Past and Future of the Black City in America
913:
310:
294:
283:
763:
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241:
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240:, later to become a prominent physician. Jennie died before her father. Abbie married
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114:
71:
67:
34:
599:
165:. In 1872, he was made lieutenant colonel of the 13th Regiment. He served under
151:
121:
is named after him. His legacy continues to fund scholarships for orphan boys.
783:
The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty
202:
712:
772:
807:
663:
661:
210:
194:
248:. Douglas and Abbie had five children. McKee's wife died in the 1880s.
181:, many former slaves were migrating north to seek new opportunities. In
138:
teenager and ran away, but was brought back to complete his indenture.
268:
370:
Some sources give McKee's year of birth as 1819. Others say 1821.
609:
607:
161:
On June 17, 1870, McKee enlisted in the 12th Regiment of the
667:
503:
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554:
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329:and perhaps in the world." One of Abbie's sons was
95:
87:
79:
60:
41:
25:
826:
697:"$ 1 Million McKee Estate To Provide Scholarships"
113:who became an extremely wealthy property owner in
931:Tales of South Jersey: Profiles and Personalities
613:
333:, a classmate and friend of the future educator
277:was entrusted with administering McKee's legacy
1001:Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey
600:http://www.edencemetery.org/styled/index.html
8:
1011:Military personnel from Alexandria, Virginia
625:
492:
480:
441:
303:Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
732:The Philadelphia Inquirer; Good Black News
33:
22:
762:
991:Businesspeople from Alexandria, Virginia
858:Madella, William H. (January 17, 2012).
398:
382:
363:
16:For other people named John McKee, see
928:Waltzer, Jim; Wilk, Tom (2001-10-01).
558:
531:
679:
652:
519:
456:
429:
7:
976:19th-century American businesspeople
780:Graham, Lawrence Otis (2007-07-03).
745:Cobb, W. Montague M.D. (July 1955).
640:
587:
575:
543:
507:
468:
410:
321:, a few miles outside Philadelphia.
221:, in New York state, and elsewhere.
833:. Oxford University Press. p.
808:"John McKee Biography and Archives"
726:Byles, Samantha (October 1, 2012).
297:stemmed from his coming down with
14:
996:Businesspeople from Philadelphia
981:19th-century American landowners
747:"Hentry McKee Minton, 1870–1946"
109:(c. 1821 – 6 April 1902) was an
786:. HarperCollins. p. 181.
668:$ 1 Million McKee Estate – Jet
1:
910:eht.com (Egg Harbor Township)
331:Theophilus John Minton Syphax
934:. Rutgers University Press.
904:Taylor, Grace (2007-11-11).
877:Ryan, Patrick (2010-02-26).
215:Logan County, West Virginia
163:Pennsylvania National Guard
150:, where he found work in a
18:John McKee (disambiguation)
1032:
986:African-American Catholics
256:McKee died at his home in
246:Arlington County, Virginia
15:
319:Collingdale, Pennsylvania
177:Following the end of the
32:
626:Waltzer & Wilk 2001
493:Waltzer & Wilk 2001
481:Waltzer & Wilk 2001
442:Waltzer & Wilk 2001
339:Phillips Exeter Academy
707:(24). 9 October 1952.
313:funeral and burial at
278:
226:McKee City, New Jersey
119:McKee City, New Jersey
335:Roscoe Conkling Bruce
272:
860:"Colonel John McKee"
825:Lane, Roger (1991).
614:John McKee Biography
353:Notes and references
167:General Louis Wagner
135:District of Columbia
53:District of Colombia
1016:Union Army soldiers
864:theotheralexandria
510:, p. 101-102.
293:His choice of the
279:
238:Henry McKee Minton
179:American Civil War
156:American Civil War
129:McKee was born in
941:978-0-8135-3007-9
890:978-1-4389-9822-0
844:978-0-19-506566-4
793:978-0-06-098513-4
288:Patrick John Ryan
275:Patrick John Ryan
103:
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912:. Archived from
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111:African American
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295:Catholic Church
284:Catholic Church
267:
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175:
173:Property tycoon
146:McKee moved to
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127:
99:Disputed legacy
75:
65:
56:
46:
28:
21:
12:
11:
5:
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812:McKee Scholars
804:
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692:
685:
684:
672:
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645:
643:, p. 103.
630:
618:
603:
592:
590:, p. 251.
580:
578:, p. 102.
563:
561:, p. 182.
548:
546:, p. 285.
536:
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512:
497:
485:
473:
471:, p. 101.
461:
446:
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415:
413:, p. 104.
403:
381:
373:
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362:
361:
354:
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305:and burial at
266:
263:
253:
250:
242:Douglas Syphax
233:
230:
219:Delaware River
174:
171:
158:(1861–1865).
143:
140:
126:
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101:
100:
97:
96:Known for
93:
92:
91:Property owner
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85:
84:
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62:
58:
57:
47:
43:
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916:on 2012-10-23
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628:, p. 93.
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516:
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495:, p. 92.
494:
489:
486:
483:, p. 91.
482:
477:
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470:
465:
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458:
453:
451:
447:
444:, p. 90.
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346:
344:
343:New Hampshire
340:
336:
332:
326:
322:
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316:
315:Eden Cemetery
312:
308:
304:
300:
299:typhoid fever
296:
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232:Personal life
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187:West Virginia
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50:
44:
40:
36:
31:
24:
19:
1006:McKee family
966:1820s births
945:. Retrieved
930:
918:. Retrieved
914:the original
909:
906:"McKee City"
894:. Retrieved
879:
867:. Retrieved
863:
848:. Retrieved
828:
815:. Retrieved
811:
797:. Retrieved
782:
757:(4): 285–6.
754:
750:
735:. Retrieved
731:
716:. Retrieved
704:
700:
688:
687:
682:, p. 5.
675:
655:, p. 4.
648:
621:
595:
583:
539:
527:
522:, p. 2.
515:
488:
476:
464:
459:, p. 3.
437:
432:, p. 1.
406:
399:Madella 2012
377:
376:
366:
357:
356:
347:
327:
323:
311:Presbyterian
292:
280:
258:Philadelphia
255:
235:
223:
207:
183:Philadelphia
176:
160:
148:Philadelphia
145:
128:
115:Philadelphia
106:
104:
72:Pennsylvania
68:Philadelphia
64:6 April 1902
971:1902 deaths
559:Graham 2007
532:Taylor 2007
273:Archbishop
224:He founded
152:livery yard
80:Nationality
960:Categories
947:2013-01-06
920:2013-01-06
896:2013-01-06
869:2013-01-06
850:2013-01-05
817:2013-01-06
799:2013-01-05
737:2013-11-06
718:2013-01-06
680:Byles 2012
653:Byles 2012
520:Byles 2012
457:Byles 2012
430:Byles 2012
203:New Jersey
131:Alexandria
125:Early life
107:John McKee
88:Occupation
49:Alexandria
27:John McKee
713:0021-5996
641:Lane 1991
588:Ryan 2010
576:Lane 1991
544:Cobb 1955
508:Lane 1991
469:Lane 1991
411:Lane 1991
378:Citations
773:20893761
211:Kentucky
199:New York
195:Kentucky
105:Colonel
83:American
764:2617666
689:Sources
191:Georgia
45:c. 1821
938:
887:
841:
790:
771:
761:
711:
265:Legacy
261:time.
193:, and
142:Career
74:, U.S.
55:, U.S.
358:Notes
252:Death
936:ISBN
885:ISBN
839:ISBN
788:ISBN
769:PMID
709:ISSN
213:and
201:and
61:Died
42:Born
835:101
759:PMC
701:Jet
341:in
337:at
317:in
244:of
962::
908:.
862:.
837:.
810:.
767:.
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749:.
730:.
703:.
699:.
660:^
633:^
606:^
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385:^
205:.
189:,
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133:,
117:.
70:,
51:,
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721:.
705:2
670:.
616:.
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20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
