NNP

William Hartman Woodin

Biography

Born in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Graduate of Columbia University School of Mines in 1890. Married Annie Jessup October 9, 1899. They had four children.

Employed as General Superintendent of Jackson & Woodin Manufacturing Co., manufacturers of railroad cars and equipment. President of American Car and Foundry Co. in 1916. He gave medals to his employees for service during the World War. The bronze medal was struck by the Gorham Co. President of American Locomotive Company 1925-1929. As a musical composer, Woodin wrote the "Franklin D. Roosevelt March."

Appointed Secretary of the Treasury by President Roosevelt and served March 5, 1933, to December 31, 1933. His signature appears on Silver Certificates, series of 1928-C, 1928-D and 1933; and Federal Reserve Notes, series of 1928-D. During his term the President declared a banking holiday and closed all the banks. The mint ended production of gold coins for circulation.

Woodin had a collection of U. S. pattern coins. It was reported that he paid $10,000 for each of two unique $50 gold patterns of 1877. They came out of the mysterious collection of William Idler through Nagy and Haseltine. These patterns had officially been melted and should not have existed. In 1910 he transferred these two patterns to the Mint Cabinet collection on condition that they never be destroyed. He received in return several crates of duplicate patterns from the Mint.

Part of his collection was sold at auction March 2-4, 1911, by Thomas Elder with 1600 lots. The sale included an 1870S three dollar gold piece. This was the only example available to collectors as the other piece struck was placed in the cornerstone of the San Francisco mint. It sold for $1450 to Waldo Newcomer.

He was author with Adams of United States Pattern Trial and Experimental Pieces in 1913. In 1914 he exhibited patterns at the ANS.

Woodin appears on a medal (USM 213) as one of the series for Secretaries of the Treasury. Dies were by John Ray Sinnock. He died in New York City.

bio:ApCAB;BDEB; DAB; EAB; Failor; NCAB 17, 25; WWWA-1; CW 5/29/91; NUM/NIN 2/94

obit: NUM 47 Jun 1934 p. 402