Henry Leavitt Ellsworth | |
|---|---|
 Henry Leavitt Ellsworth, first Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office, founder, United States Department of Agriculture | |
| Born | November 10, 1791. |
| Died | December 27, 1858 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Known for | First Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office |
| Political party | Free Soil Party |
| Children | 3, including Henry |
| Relatives | Oliver Ellsworth (father) William W. Ellsworth (brother) Elizur Goodrich (father-in-law) |
Henry Leavitt Ellsworth (November 10, 1791 – December 27, 1858) was a Yale-educated attorney who became the first Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office, where he encouraged innovation by inventors Samuel F.B. Morse and Samuel Colt. Ellsworth also served as the second president of the Aetna Insurance Company, and was a major donor to Yale College,[1] a commissioner to Indian tribes on the western frontier, and the founder of what became the United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ Among the gifts and bequests made by Ellsworth to Yale was the Ellsworth Fund, which paid the tuition of Yale College students intending to enter the ministry.[1]