On January 22, 2023, author and former Wall Street Journal bureau chief Greg Steinmetz will present an in-person talk for the Irvington Historical Society entitled Jay Gould: His Life and Legacy.  Gould was one of the most influential and controversial figures in American business history, a railroad tycoon, financier and speculator who built one of the greatest fortunes of the Gilded Age.  While incredibly successful financially, he was described by Theodore Roosevelt as a swindler, a “wealthy stock gambler” and a man “whose financial dishonesty is a matter of common notoriety.”  Notwithstanding his ruthless approach to business, he could be remarkably generous, stepping in at the request of a friend to purchase and thereby prevent the unwanted development of property along North Broadway in Irvington and then donating that property to the Irvington Presbyterian Church and the St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Irvington.  Drawing from his recent biography, American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built Wall Street’s Biggest Fortune, Mr. Steinmetz breathes colorful life into Gould’s complicated character, giving both his brilliance and his demons their due.

Date and Time:  Sunday, January 22, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.

Location:  Irvington Presbyterian Church, 25 N. Broadway, Irvington, New York