Hermann Oelrichs (June 8, 1850 – September 1, 1906)[1] was an American businessman, multimillionaire, and agent of
Norddeutsche Lloyd shipping.
Early life
Oelrichs was born on June 8, 1850, in
Baltimore, Maryland. He was the son of German-born Henry Ferdinand Oelrichs (1810–1875), a senior partner in the firm of Oelrichs & Lurman, and Julia Matilda (
née May) Oelrichs (1819–1879), who was born in
Washington, D.C. His siblings included
Charles May Oelrichs and Henry Oelrichs.[1]
Oelrichs was the grandson of Gesche Catharina (née Holler) Oelrichs and Johann Gerhard Oelrichs, a
German merchant in
Bremen. The Oelrichs came to America from Bremen around 1830.[2] His grandfather later married a daughter of statesman
Harrison Gray Otis. His maternal grandparents were Julia Matilda (née Slacum) May and Frederick May, who was a member of the May family, prominent in Virginia and Maryland during the
American Revolutionary War.[2] His uncle,
Henry May, was a
U.S. Representative from Maryland, and the father of Lilian May, who married
William Bagot, 4th Baron Bagot in 1903.[3]
Hermann Oelrichs Jr. (1891–1948),[14] who married Dorothy Haydel (1893–1961)[15] in 1925.[16] After his death, she married
Prince Ferdinand of Liechtenstein (1901–1981) in 1950.[17] He served as a lieutenant (junior grade) in the
U.S. Navy during the First World War.[14]
Oelrichs died on September 1, 1906, aboard SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse while sailing across the
Atlantic Ocean.[1] After his body was returned to the United States,[18] his remains were interred in
Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City.[19] He left his full estate to his brother
Charles May Oelrichs, thinking that Tessie would be content with her own fortune,[20] but Tessie contested the will.[21][22] Eventually, they settled the dispute and she received half of the estate.[23][12] His widow died in Newport on November 22, 1926.[8]
Sportsman
Oelrichs, an avid sportsman, loved polo and has been credited as "the man who brought the first mallets, polo balls and shirts into the United States." as the man who introduced the game of Polo in the U.S.[7] He was also the first president of the U.S. Lacrosse Association,[7] and a director of the
New York Athletic Club.[4]