Webb Hayes - Early Years and Family

Early Years and Family

Born as James Webb Cook Hayes, he was the second son of President Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Webb Hayes.

Starting from when he was five years old, he spent six months every winter at his father's encampment, which was usually Camp White, West Virginia. He became very close with the commander of the unit, General George Crook, who later became his godfather. Crook also taught him how to live off the land including hunting, fishing and survival. Years later, after Crook became famous in the west as a hunter and Indian fighter, the two made annual trips into the Rocky Mountains for a hunt of big game.

Hayes attended Cornell University from 1873 to 1875 and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. He left Cornell to work as his father's secretary when his father was the governor of Ohio. When his father was elected president, he again served as his father's secretary.

In 1881, Hayes moved to Cleveland to work as the treasurer of the Whipple Manufacturing Company. In 1887, he, with three others, founded the National Carbon Company, which is now known as Union Carbide. Hayes stayed with this company for many years as the vice president.

He was the principal proponent for founding the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, the first presidential library.

Hayes died on July 26, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio and was buried at the Rutherford B. Hayes Home, Spiegel Grove, in Fremont, Ohio.