Samuel Andrews

(chemist)

Samuel Andrews (1836–1904) was a

chemist and inventor. Born in England, he
immigrated to the United States before
the American Civil War and settled in
Cleveland, Ohio. He is best known as a
partner in the oil refining firm of
Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler, the major
predecessor company of the Standard
Oil corporate empire. When the first unit
was formed in 1870, Andrews owned
16.67% of Standard Oil stock. He sold his
stock early on in 1874 and while he was
wealthy, he did not participate in the level
of wealth generation that the other
founders did.

Samuel Andrews' mansion on Euclid

Avenue (Cleveland). This home was
built in 1882-85 and was demolished
in 1923.

Standard Oil Articles of Incorporation

signed by John D. Rockefeller, Henry
M. Flagler, Samuel Andrews, Stephen
V. Harkness and William Rockefeller
Life and career
Andrews already had some experience in
production in the newly discovered
oilfields of western Pennsylvania when,
in 1862, he approached two Cleveland
produce merchants to become
stockholders in a new enterprise. One
was John D. Rockefeller, who saw the
potential in Andrews' plan and invested in
the venture. With this capital, Andrews
designed and began a small refinery in
Cleveland.

Ida M. Tarbell, an early investigative

journalist and the author of The History of
Standard Oil, described Andrews as "a
mechanical genius", who "devised new
processes" to create a better product. He
is credited with inventing the chemical
process called fractional distillation,
which is the separation of crude oil into
its components.

While he left Standard Oil early, he did try

to display his wealth by building a
mansion on Cleveland's Euclid Avenue,
also known as "Millionaire's Row".
Andrews dreamed of entertaining Queen
Victoria at the home, but that dream
never came to fruition. The home was so
large that the servants could not function
effectively, and it was soon closed and
remained vacant for 25 years, until it was
eventually bulldozed in 1923.

His better-known partners, Rockefeller

and Henry Morrison Flagler, are credited
with the marketing strategies and
schemes that capitalized on Andrews'
technical expertise. Andrews often
disagreed with Rockefeller's aggressive
growth, and soon Rockefeller offered to
buy Andrews out. Andrews took the offer
and sold out all his stock in 1874.
Flagler's wife's ill-health later turned his
attention to Florida, where he founded
the Florida East Coast Railway and
helped develop many resort
communities, most notably the cities of
Palm Beach and Miami. While Flagler
began a new career in Florida, Andrews
remained in Ohio and New Jersey. The
last remaining influential shareholder,
Henry Huttleston Rogers, decided as
Flagler to diversify his investments, he
embarked on the railroad business and
set up the Virginian Railway.

Death
Andrews died of pneumonia at the Hotel
Brighton in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on
April 14, 1904, aged 67/68. He had fallen
ill just seven days earlier.[1] His funeral
was held in Cleveland, and he was
temporarily interred in the Wade Chapel
receiving vault at Lake View Cemetery.[2]
The will, probated in New Jersey, gave
his fortune to his wife, Mary. After her
death, whatever was left was to be
apportioned among his children in equal
shares.[3] His wife died from an infected
abscess in the ear just 11 months later.[4]
By this time, a small Andrews family
vault had been built at Lake View and
Samuel Andrews interred there. Mary
Andrews was interred beside him.[5] In
1907, the Andrews children had erected
at Lake View a Neoclassical mausoleum
at a cost of $50,000 ($1.57 million in
2022 dollars) to $100,000 ($3.14 million
in 2022 dollars). Samuel and Mary
Andrews were reinterred there in
September 1907.[6]
References
1. "Passed Away At Atlantic City". The Plain
Dealer. April 16, 1904. pp. 1, 4.
2. "Funeral This Afternoon". The Plain Dealer.
April 18, 1904. p. 4.
3. "Fortune Goes To The Family". The Plain
Dealer. May 1, 1904. p. 8.
4. "Answers Death's Call". The Plain Dealer.
March 21, 1905. p. 2.
5. "Funeral of Mrs. Andrwws". The Plain
Dealer. March 22, 1905. p. 2.
6. "Splendid Andrews Memorial Soon To Be
Dedicated At Lakeview". The Plain Dealer.
September 11, 1907. p. 8.

Tarbell, Ida M. The History of the

Standard Oil Company. New York:
 McClure, Phillips & Co., 1904.

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