William Boyce Thompson - Knowledge (XXG)

742:(1935) based on this material. Journalist Hagedorn at times writes more hagiography than biography. For example, his depiction of George E. Gunn is libelous—Gunn was not a lowly miner/prospector born in Nevada and working in Montana when "discovered" by Thompson as a worthy partner. Gunn, an Ohian who attended Oberlin and Ohio State University, had worked his way up to mine superintendent when he met Thompson in Helena. The two later became a powerful team (not as Hagedorn writes) after they met again while Gunn was with Guggenheim Exploration, mine finders, and Thompson with Hayden, Stone & Company brokerage. Their Gunn-Thompson partnership was searching in all the major new porphyry districts and developed a number of the major mines by the time heart disease impacted Gunn's abilities, then his death a year later March 11, 1913. Gunn the mine finder was a perfect match for Thompson the broker and high wheeling financier. Gunn had the talent in Salt Lake City on his staff or as consultants next door to find the mines—Mason Valley, Inspiration, Magma, for example—while Thompson had the connections to finance the developments. Again, many of the tall tales Hagedorn relates about the pre-1913 era, especially about Gunn, need correctives: Gunn's eyes were not gray they were blue and one needs to discount the rest of Hagedorn's description of his intellect and appearance; he was not buried by an ex-con and the boys, but by the Masonic lodge he had long been a member of and by a reverend, Hagedorn to the contrary. Same could be said of Hagedorn's depictions of and roles of Philip Wiseman, Henry Krumb, Fred Flindt, 383:

Thompson was of the opinion that the new Bolshevik government was certain to remain in power and that official Allied recognition & support of the Bolsheviks would allow Russia to be kept in the bounds of commercial custom and therefore become less radical as a result. According to him, "if leave Russian radicalism to itself to grow like a cancer, it is going to be a menace to the world." Thompson spoke favorably of the Bolsheviks but with some reservations, stressing that he believed the Bolsheviks would "soon learn that capital and labor must go hand in hand" and continue the war against Germany. Nevertheless, Thompson's predictions did not come true. The Bolsheviks withdrew from the war, ceasing hostilities with the German Empire and the other Central Powers through the ratification of the

292: 200:, during the 1910s (absorbed by the "Anaconda crowd" in 1912, but with Thompson retaining a 15% share); all made him fabulously wealthy. He had built a considerable fortune developing low grade, large scale porphyry copper deposits at the same time he got lucky with his high-grade Magma mine, which proved a phenomenal bonanza. He retired from the New York stock exchange in 1915 and later created his own holding company, 551: 421: 494: 670: 168:. During the 1890s he joined his father, William, one-time mayor of Butte, in Montana mining and lumber ventures, before moving east to become a mine promoter and stockbroker. His first success, the Shannon Copper Company – where he opened mines, built a smelter, and a railroad between them – is now part of Arizona's vast 407:

uncovered Thompson's financial support for Kerensky and the Committee of Civic Education in Free Russia, they "jumped to the conclusion that he had given the money to the Bolsheviki for propaganda purposes" likely due to Thompson's controversial public opinions on the Bolsheviks and their role in the future of Russia.

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to feed the hungry. Along with assisting the Provisional government in dealing with the famine, Thompson also endeavored to shape post-Revolutionary Russia's political landscape in a manner favorable to Wall Street. Thompson, wholly sympathetic with Kerensky and his provisional government, provided $

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for support. Thompson assisted Breshkovsky in this endeavor by reaching out to President Wilson himself but ultimately neither message had any effect and were unsuccessful in securing further funding for the Committee. Despite desperate attempts by Thompson and his cohorts to support Kerensky in the

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and the populace loyal to the Provisional government, in spite of growing popular sentiment against the war and Kerensky's mounting unpopularity. With the help of Thompson, the Committee of Civic Education in Free Russia was created by the Provisional government to oversee the Bolshevik propaganda

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In 1925, when planning to scout mining properties in South Africa, he became ill and returned home halfway through the trip, his last, lingering illness. Rotund, good-natured, bald, a tireless worker, a devoted family man, Thompson chewed tobacco, underpaid his employees (though equivalent to pay

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attempted to deal with the new Bolshevik government despite the protests of indignant American diplomats and businessmen that the Bolsheviki were merely paid agents of the German Kaiser and not true representatives of Russian democracy. Based on his own observations of Russia's political climate,

204:, to which he transferred his many mining interests. By the time of his death, Newmont Mining was a major factor in world copper production. Today, Newmont is the largest gold producer in the United States but continues the legacy of Thompson to explore and bring into production new ore deposits. 406:

that W.B. Thompson gave considerable sums of money to the Bolsheviks. This is a misconception that can be traced back to Thompson's own time, originally appearing in newspapers asserting his support for the Bolsheviks. As pointed out by W.B. Thompson biographer Hermann Hagedorn, when the press

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at the organization's head. According to W.B. Thompson biographer Hermann Hagedorn, the aim of the propaganda disseminated by the Committee was to "beg the Russians in terms which the simplest could comprehend to obey the government and resume the war, not to save the Allies but to save the

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During the 1920s, near Superior, Arizona, he built his winter mansion, Picket Post House, overlooking the beautiful desertscape and gardens he created at what is now the magnificent Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. The Mediterranean style home is occasionally open for tours through the

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He donated money for parks and libraries at many of his mining camps, including the Thompson-Hickman Memorial Library in his birthplace, Virginia City; his wife Gertrude Hickman Thompson officially transferred the building to the city in 1918. He donated $ 50,000 for a park in Butte.

490:, and endowed it with $ 10 million, a veritable fortune in the 1920s. He hoped that this "seed" money would enable the institute to acquire the very best scientists, equipment, and supplies and then to develop relationships with industry and the government to help finance research. 330:(died 1980) who had acquired it from the artist's estate; she claimed in her autobiography 'Faith is a Song' (1951) that she offered it to Thompson's daughter who set a fee for the privilege of destroying the portrait. The portrait is now in the New York State Museum at Albany. 136:. Thompson was one of the early twentieth century mine operators that discovered and exploited vast copper deposits that revolutionized Western American mining, and reaped tremendous fortunes. The William Boyce Thompson School in 349:

The objective of the mission was to enlarge the business opportunities in Russia for him and Wall Street associates and saw firsthand the suffering of the people and the inability of the social democratic government headed by

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To his alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy, Thompson donated $ 2 million during his lifetime. His donations created the Boyce Thompson science building, a new gymnasium in 1923, squash courts, a baseball field, sports cage,

369:. The million given to the Committee by Thompson was quickly exhausted and no alternative source of funding could be provided by the struggling Provisional government, prompting Breshkovsky to appeal to U.S. President 876: 396: 365:

Revolution." Despite Thompson's generous funding, the Committee was largely unsuccessful and could not compete with the anti-war propaganda of the Russian radicals, specifically that of the

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where he opened old copper mines and built his smelter town which was named Thompson, Nevada after him (now a ghost town); and most fortuitously in the 1910s opened the Magma mine at

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relief mission that also hoped to encourage formation of a democratic government in Russia. He was awarded the honorary title of colonel by the American Red Cross.

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Fortunately for future historians, Thompson began writing his reminiscences before his death. However, a word of caution about Hermann Hagedorn's

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and the Bolsheviks came to power, but this did not prove to be an immediate set-back in Thompson's plans for Russia. Thompson and his compatriot

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Margaret "Peggy" Boyce Schulze (1921—1964) (1st m. 1939 Prince Alexander zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst) (2nd m.

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in 1918. While the Soviet Union allowed foreign investments, free trade, and concessions for a time during the era of the

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He was prominent behind the scenes in the Republican party, a presidential elector, party chair, as well as served on the

1202: 1172: 288:, from the Pullman Company. The car was later used by ASARCO and in 1971 was owned by the National Railways of Mexico. 391:, this retreat towards capitalism and the accommodation to foreign capitalists that it permitted was promptly ended by 1177: 561: 431: 339: 240: 201: 580: 565: 450: 435: 215:

financing during the War when the stock rose from 290 to 500. He promoted the great Nipissing silver deposit at

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given by his contemporaries) and, as one of the greatest gamblers of his time, discharged them for gambling.

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His wife, Gertrude Hickman, and daughter, Margaret Thompson, inherited the balance of his wealth. In 1941,

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There is a persistent theory, most prominently outlined in "Wall Street and the Bolshevik Revolution" by

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that states a Knowledge (XXG) editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic.

502: 361: 185: 180:, where he helped organize the Nevada Consolidated, which eventually became a part of the multinational 355:

1 million of his own to a propaganda campaign intent on keeping Russia involved in the war against the

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Margaret Thompson Biddle (1897–1956) (1st m. 1916 Theodore Schulze II div. unk.) (2nd m. 1931

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face of both reactionary and radical opposition, the Provisional government was overthrown in the

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Thompson's promotions and financial holdings were scattered from Canada to Peru. They included

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and the effects of crop failure and starvation were rampant. Thompson was a member of an

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He financed lead, zinc and coal mines, street railways, and handled the sensational

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Thompson also bequeathed a significant gem and mineral collection to New York's

420: 177: 1127: 160:, he was schooled in the rough mining towns of southwest Montana - but also at 366: 746:

and others. For a more balanced but still dated account see A. B. Parsons,

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He visited Russia before the revolution and again in 1918 just after the

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and Tobacco Products Co., launched Cuba Cane Sugar Co., got control of

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open pit, largest in the United States. Joining the brokerage firm of

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In 1925, Thompson ordered a luxurious private railroad car, named the

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New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

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American mining engineer, financier, and philanthropist (1869–1930)

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from 1914 to 1919 and was twice (1916 and 1920) a delegate to the

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William Boyce Thompson (1869–1930) (m. Gertrude Hickman)

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Rails to Carry Copper, a History of the Magma Arizona Railroad

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five-year plans for the national economy of the Soviet Union

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