Background
He was born on April 10, 1865 to Rebecca Krom (?-1905) and Harvey Smith Ladew I (?-1888) in Shokan, New New York
He was born on April 10, 1865 to Rebecca Krom (?-1905) and Harvey Smith Ladew I (?-1888) in Shokan, New New York
He attended Columbia University in 1885 and left the program to join the family run Fayerweather & Ladew in Glen Cove, New New York
He became a partner in the company on February 1, 1889. They had two children: Joseph Harvey Ladew, Junior. (1905-?) and Oliver Ladew (1906-1979).
Ladew died on February 16, 1940 at LeRoy Sanitarium in Manhattan.
Yachts
He had two yachts, both named Columbia built, the first built by Cramp Shipbuilding launched from Philadelphia on August 23, 1893. Turned over to the United States Navy for the Spanish American War in 1898, the yacht was renamed the United States Ship Wasp and was used in the blockade of Cuba.
In 1909 the ship began a nine year long loan to the New York Naval Militia. The yacht was brought back into active naval service 7 April 1917 for World War I service and continued in naval service until decommissioned at Norfolk on 1 December 1919.
In 1898 he ordered a new yacht from the Crescent Shipyard in Elizabethport, New Jersey for $200,000.
The second Columbia, constructed in 1899 and delivered 1900, was designed for possible conversion to a naval auxiliary and modeled after the United States Coast Survey steamer Pathfinder that had been built in the same shipyard. In 1913 it was briefly impounded by the Japanese at Wakayama. That yacht served in World War I as HMCS Stadacona.
