Lamon V. Harkness

Who was Lamon V. Harkness?

Lamon Vanderburgh Harkness was an American businessman and a partner in Standard Oil who was one of the company's largest stockholders. Lamon V. Harkness became involved with Standard Oil through his father Stephen V. Harkness who was a primary silent investor in the formation of Standard Oil and Henry Flagler.

Born in Bellevue, Ohio, he was the son of Stephen V. Harkness and his first wife, Laura Osborne. As a young man he entered the cattle business in Kansas City, Missouri before returning to Greenwich, Connecticut following the death of his father in 1888.

Harkness was well known as a yachtsman who owned the SS Wakiva which became part of the United States Navy during 1917 and 1918 and had war service during World War I.