Matthew Newkirk

Matthew Newkirk (May 31, 1794 – May 31, 1868) was an American businessman, railroad magnate, banker and philanthropist. He was president of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) and led the integration of four railroad companies to establish the first direct rail service between Philadelphia and Baltimore. He was a director of the Second Bank of the United States; and an investor in the Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company and the Cambria Iron Company.

He was a board member of Girard College and served as a trustee to Princeton University for 34 years. He contributed to Lafayette College, served as president of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, and was one of the founders of the Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania. He donated land to help establish Fairmount Park. The Newkirk Viaduct Monument in Philadelphia is named in his honor. Provided by Wikipedia