Cornelius Newton Bliss Jr.

Who was Cornelius Newton Bliss Jr.?

Cornelius Newton Bliss Jr. was an American merchant, political organizer, and philanthropist. He was born in April 15, 1875 in New York City to Cornelius Newton Bliss, a prominent Republican Party politician later named Secretary of the Interior under President William McKinley. Bliss Jr. was raised in New York City and attended Harvard University, graduating in 1897 with a bachelors of arts. After college, he entered the family dry goods business, later becoming a full partner. In 1906, he married Zaidee C. Cobb, with whom he had three children: daughter Elizabeth and sons Cornelius Newton III and Anthony Addison.

Bliss followed his father's involvement in politics, participating in the presidential campaign of Theodore Roosevelt. In July 1916, he was named treasurer of the Republican National Committee and participated in the losing presidential campaign of Charles Evans Hughes, which he helped operate from New York City. During the campaign, he also served as president of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, a role he filled from 1913 to 1934.