George Hearst
George Hearst (September 3, 1820 – February 28, 1891) was an American businessman, politician, and patriarch of the Hearst business dynasty. After growing up on a small farm in Missouri, he founded many mining operations, and is known for developing and expanding the Homestake Mine in the late 1870s in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In 1879, he listed it on the New York Stock Exchange and went on to other pursuits. The mine's gold production continued uninterrupted until 2001.
George Hearst | |
|---|---|
Hearst c. 1891 or earlier | |
| United States Senator from California | |
| In office March 4, 1887 – February 28, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | Abram P. Williams |
| Succeeded by | Charles N. Felton |
| In office March 23, 1886 – August 4, 1886 | |
| Appointed by | George Stoneman |
| Preceded by | John F. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Abram P. Williams |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 8th district | |
| In office 1865–1867 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 3, 1820 Sullivan, Missouri Territory |
| Died | February 28, 1891 (aged 70) Washington, D.C. |
| Resting place | Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Phoebe Elizabeth Apperson
(m. 1862) |
| Children | William Randolph Hearst |
| Profession | Business magnate and politician |
| Net worth | USD $19 million at the time of his death, equivalent to $644 million in 2021 |
| Signature | |
After settling in San Francisco in the early 1860s, Hearst became a politician, first representing San Francisco in the state legislature for one term. He also maintained mining interests through his company. Hearst was appointed as a United States senator in 1886 to fill a vacancy and was elected as a Democrat later that year on his own account. He served in the Senate from 1887 to his death in 1891. His only child from his late marriage (at age 40) was his son William Randolph Hearst, who became internationally known as a newspaperman and publisher, and was a primary inspiration for Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane.