Charles Henrotin was an Belgian-born American businessman. He was mostly involved in the stock market.
Background
Charles Henrotin was born on April 15, 1843, in Brussels, Belgium. He was brother of Fernand Henrotin and son of Joseph Fortunat Henrotin and Adèle (Kinson) Henrotin. He was brought to America in 1848 by his parents, who settled in Chicago.
Education
After receiving his preliminary schooling in America, Charles was sent back to Belgium to the Polytechnic School at Tournai.
Career
At the age of eighteen Charles Henrotin returned to Chicago where he entered the employ of the Merchants’ Savings, Loan & Trust Company. After a period of seven years he was made cashier, succeeding Lyman J. Gage. He remained in this position until 1878 when he became an independent banker and broker. He acted as the American representative of important financial interests in London and on the Continent. On the death of his father in 1876, he was appointed to fill the position of Belgian consul which his father had occupied. In 1877 he was made consul for the Ottoman Empire, later becoming consul-general. He continued in these services until his death.
During the administration of the elder Carter Harrison, Henrotin did notable service for the city and county by purchasing the depreciated scrip of the local governments after it had been declared illegal, thus protecting the incomes of city and county employees. The scrip was subsequently redeemed at par. During the period 1878-1883 he introduced railroad bonds into the Chicago financial market. In 1887 he became involved in serious financial failure as a result of an attempted corner in wheat in which customers of his bank had participated, but he recovered, and in 1889-1891 served again as president of the Chicago Stock Exchange. He was also a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and helped to promote the building of the Chicago Opera House. Henrotin continued to be identified with banking interests in Chicago until his death, which occurred in his seventy-second year.
Achievements
Politics
Charles Henrotin was an active Democrat and took great interest in the Free Silver issue of the Bryan campaigns, writing numerous articles and pamphlets.
Connections
On September 2, 1869, Charles Henrotin married Ellen Martin of Portland, Maine, who in 1887 was joint author with K. B. Martin of The Social Status of European and American Women and in 1894 became president of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.