View source for Jacob Ruppert

{{Short description|American businessman, politician (1867–1939)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = Member of the<br />[[U.S. House of Representatives]]<br />from [[New York (state)|New York]]
| constituency = {{ushr|NY|15|15th district}} (1899–1903)<br />{{ushr|NY|16|16th district}} (1903–07)
| term_start = March 4, 1899
| term_end = March 3, 1907
| preceded = [[Philip B. Low]]
| succeeded = [[Francis Burton Harrison]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| image = Jacob Ruppert cropped from Landis.jpg
| imagesize = 
| caption   = Ruppert in 1923
|birth_name   = Jacob Ruppert Jr.
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1867|8|5}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1939|1|13|1867|8|5}}
| death_place = New York City, U.S.
| occupation     = Businessman (brewing, [[baseball]])
| spouse         = 
| children       = 
| branch      = [[New York Army National Guard]]
| serviceyears = 1886–95
| rank        = [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]]
| unit        = [[107th Infantry Regiment (United States)|7th New York Infantry]]
| module = 
{{Infobox baseball biography | embed=yes
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[2013 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2013]]
|hofvote=93.8%
|hofmethod=Pre-Integration Era Committee<ref name="PR-HOF">{{Cite press release |title=Hank O'Day, Jacob Ruppert, Deacon White Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame by Pre-Integration Committee |date=December 3, 2012 |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |url=http://www.baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/hank-oday-jacob-ruppert-deacon-white-elected-national-baseball-hall-fame-pre |access-date=June 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624222352/http://baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/hank-oday-jacob-ruppert-deacon-white-elected-national-baseball-hall-fame-pre |archive-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref>
}}
}}

'''Jacob Ruppert Jr.''' (August 5, 1867 – January 13, 1939) was an American [[brewing|brewer]], businessman, [[United States National Guard|National Guard]] [[colonel (United States)|colonel]] and politician who served for four terms representing [[New York (state)|New York]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1899 to 1907. He also owned the [[New York Yankees]] of [[Major League Baseball]] from 1915 until his death in 1939.

Starting out in the family brewing business, Ruppert entered the [[7th New York Militia|7th Regiment]] of the [[New York National Guard]] in 1886 at the age of 19, eventually reaching the rank of colonel. While he was the owner of the Yankees, he purchased the contract of [[Babe Ruth]] and built [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], reversing the franchise's fortunes and establishing it as the premier club in the major leagues. Ruppert was inducted into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in July 2013.

==Early life==
Ruppert was born in [[New York City]], the son of brewer Jacob Ruppert Sr.<ref name="nydn">{{cite news |last=Maeder |first=Jay |date=March 2, 1999 |title=Jacob Ruppert The Old Ball Game |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1999/03/02/jacob-ruppert-the-old-ball-game/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250612085614/https://www.nydailynews.com/1999/03/02/jacob-ruppert-the-old-ball-game/ |archive-date=June 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-04-22 |work=New York Daily News |page=2}}</ref> and his wife, Anna Ruppert ({{née}} Gillig).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://forevermarxist.tripod.com/ruppert.htm | title=Concerning The Ruppert Mansion & Ehret Brewery... | work=Forever Marxist |access-date=June 11, 2013 }}</ref> He was the second oldest of six children.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1895/05/01/106060756.pdf |title=Gouring&nbsp;— Smith. – View Article|newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 1, 1895 |access-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> His mother was also of [[German American|German]] ethnicity and was the daughter of prominent brewer George Gillig.<ref>{{cite web |title=1927 New York Yankees: The Greatest Baseball Team Ever by Harvey Frommer |url=http://www.travel-watch.com/1927yanks1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207094322/http://travel-watch.com/1927yanks1.htm |archive-date=February 7, 2008 |access-date=8 July 2008 |quote=The team had a pronounced German-American flavor from its owner beer baron Jacob Ruppert to Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mark Koenig, Bob Meusel, George Pipgras, Dutch Ruether and half Germans Waite Hoyt and Earle Combs}}</ref> Although he was a second-generation American, he spoke with a noticeable German accent all his life.<ref name="PinstripeEmpire">{{cite book |last=Appel |first=Marty |author-link=Marty Appel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h9HikhF34MgC |title=Pinstripe Empire |date=2014 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury USA]] |isbn=9781608194926 |location=New York City |pages=73, 74, 201 |url-access=limited}}</ref>

Ruppert grew up in the [[Jacob Ruppert Sr. House]] on Fifth Avenue. Jacob Jr. attended the [[Columbia Grammar School]]. He was accepted into [[Columbia College, Columbia University|Columbia College]], but instead began working in the brewing business with his father in 1887. He started as a barrel washer, working 12-hour days for $10 a week (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|10|1887}}}} in {{Inflation year|index=US}}),<ref name="barrel">{{Cite news |last=Ganson |first=Pat |date=1939-01-15 |title=Col. Ruppert Typical 'Burgher'; Won Battle With Ban Johnson |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/detgxotbrgowvwkdzxojuxxhoyckdahd_ip-10-166-46-126_1745349667517 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250612093037/https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2:1477BBDEA50EB75C@GB3NEWS-15AE4C14A16EC4B6@2429279-15AE4964F965852C@22-15AE4964F965852C?clipid=detgxotbrgowvwkdzxojuxxhoyckdahd_ip-10-166-46-126_1745349667517 |archive-date=June 12, 2025 |access-date=2025-04-22 |work=[[Milwaukee Journal]] |page=23 |via=[[GenealogyBank.com]]}}</ref> and eventually became vice president and general manager of the brewery.<ref name=nydn/>

In 1886, Ruppert enlisted in the [[107th Infantry Regiment (United States)|Seventh Regiment, National Guard]] of New York, serving in the rank of [[private (rank)|private]] through 1889. In 1890, he was promoted to [[colonel (United States)|colonel]] and appointed to serve on the staff of [[David B. Hill]], the [[List of governors of New York|governor of New York]], serving as [[aide-de-camp]].<ref name=nydn/> He became a senior aide on the staff of [[Roswell P. Flower]], Hill's successor as governor, until 1895.

==Career==
===Political and business career===
In the [[United States House of Representatives elections, 1898|1898 elections]], Ruppert was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] as a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] to the [[56th United States Congress]], defeating incumbent [[Philip B. Low]] of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] in [[New York's 15th congressional district]]. He was supported in his election by [[Richard Croker]], the [[political boss]] of [[Tammany Hall]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VxgyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3155,6361875&dq=jacob-ruppert+philip-low&hl=en|title=From Tweed To Croker. Do the Changes in Men and Methods Show that Parties in Great Municipalities are Growing Better or Worse|newspaper=The Deseret News|page=24|date=January 6, 1900|access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref> Ruppert won reelection over [[New York City Council|Alderman]] Elias Goodman in [[United States House of Representatives elections, 1900|1900]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1900/08/21/archives/senat0r-hanna-pleased-comments-on-china-news-and-the.html |title=Senator Hanna Pleased&nbsp;— Comments on China News and the Anti-Imperialists. Attempt to Establish Connection Between Philippine Troubles and the Boxers He Calls Idiocy|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 21, 1900 |access-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1900/11/07/archives/new-york-city-bryan-carries-it-by-about-28000-belmont-elected.html |title=New York City&nbsp;— Bryan Carries It By About 28,000. Belmont Elected, Ruppert Wins: McClellan and Cummings Re-elected. Douglas Defeats Hill. Manhattan Gives Bryan Over 28,000 Plurality. Kings County for McKinley By Small Margin. Jacob Worth Defeated in Brooklyn. Van Cott-Creamer Contest New York City |page=1 |access-date=July 17, 2012 |date=November 7, 1900}}</ref> Ruppert was renominated for Congress, this time running in [[New York's 16th congressional district]], in [[United States House of Representatives elections, 1902|1902]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/10/03/archives/democrats-for-congress-belmonts-turned-down-for-sullivan-and-hearst.html |title=Democrats For Congress&nbsp;— Belmonts Turned Down for Sullivan and Hearst. Goldfogle, Sulzer, McClellan, Rider, Shober, and Ruppert Named in Other Districts&nbsp;— Several Conventions Adjourned |date=October 3, 1902|access-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> Ruppert was not a candidate for reelection in 1906, and he left office in 1907.
[[File:Jacob Ruppert Brewery, George Ringler Brewery and George Ehret Brewery 1896 map - Sanborn V. 8 Plate 162 publ. 1896 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Jacob Ruppert Brewery (top left) at the corner of Third Avenue and East 91st Street in 1896 map]]
Ruppert was also president of the Astoria Silk Works and the [[United States Brewers' Association]] from 1911 through 1914. In January 1914, his father bought [[J&M Haffen Brewing Company]] for $700,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|700000|1914}}}} in {{Inflation year|index=US}}), intending to close the brewery down and develop the property, which was located near [[The Hub, Bronx|The Hub]] in [[The Bronx]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/01/20/101913697.pdf|title=Col. Ruppert Buys Haffen Brewery: Sale Involving $700,000 Is One of the Largest Made in the Bronx. To Discontinue Business: Land on Which Brewery Stands Will Be Used as a Site for Modern Office Buildings|date=January 20, 1914|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref> Upon his father's death in 1915, Ruppert inherited the Jacob Ruppert Brewing Company and became the company's president.<ref name=nydn/> Ruppert also owned real estate, including [[Pass-a-Grille Historic District|Pass-a-Grille Key]] in Florida.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NupPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5872,4285096&dq=jacob-ruppert&hl=en|title=Colonel Jacob Ruppert Authorizes Interview Which Expresses His Faith in the West Coast|first=William C. |last=Freeman |newspaper=The Evening Independent|location=[[St. Petersburg, Florida]]|page=13|date=March 10, 1926|access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref>

===Baseball===
[[File:Albert D. Lasker (advertising genius), Jacob Ruppert (owner of New York AL), President Warren Harding at Yankee Stadium 4-24-1923 (baseball) LCCN2014715991.jpg|thumb|Ruppert (second row, second from left) with [[Albert Lasker]] and US President [[Warren G. Harding]] at Yankee Stadium in 1923]]
Ruppert, interested in baseball since his childhood, began to pursue ownership of a [[Major League Baseball]] team and attempted to purchase the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] on numerous occasions. In 1912, he was offered an opportunity to purchase the [[Chicago Cubs]] but decided that Chicago was too far away from New York for his tastes. However, [[Frank J. Farrell]] and [[William S. Devery]], owners of the [[New York Yankees]], were looking to sell their franchise. Ruppert and [[Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston]], a former [[United States Army]] [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|engineer]] and [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]], purchased the Yankees from Farrell and Devery before the 1915 season for $480,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|480000|1915}}}} in {{Inflation year|index=US}}).<ref name=nydn/> The Yankees were, at that time, a perennial also-ran in the [[American League]] (AL), posting winning records in only 4 of their 12 seasons – and only once since 1906 – since relocating to New York prior to the 1903 season from [[Baltimore]], where the team had played as the [[Baltimore Orioles (1901–1902)|Orioles]] during the AL's first two years of operation, 1901 and 1902.

After the 1917 season, [[Ban Johnson]], president of the AL, suggested that Ruppert hire [[St. Louis Cardinals]] manager [[Miller Huggins]] to take over the same position with the Yankees. Huston, who was then in Europe serving as an engineer in [[World War 1]], disliked Huggins and wanted to hire the manager of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]]'s crosstown [[Brooklyn Robins]], [[Wilbert Robinson]], his hunting and drinking buddy. However, Ruppert interviewed Huggins on Johnson's recommendation and agreed that Huggins would be an excellent choice. Ruppert offered the job to Huggins, who accepted and signed a two-year contract.<ref name="Smelser194">{{Cite book |last=Smelser |first=Marshall |url=http://archive.org/details/lifethatruthbuil0000smel |title=The life that Ruth built : a biography |date=1975 |publisher=Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co. |isbn=978-0-8129-0540-3 |pages=194 |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1917-10-26 |title=Miller Higgins to Pilot Yankees |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-miller-higgins-to-pilot/161931855/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |page=14 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The hiring of Huggins drove a wedge between the two co-owners that culminated in Huston selling his shares of the team to Ruppert in 1922.<ref name=cincy>{{cite news|title=Huggins cornerstone to Yankees|newspaper=[[The Cincinnati Post]]|first=Lonnie|last=Wheeler|date=June 3, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Koppett |first=Leonard |author-link=Leonard Koppett |date=1973-01-04 |title=In Yankees' Past: Tammany Hall, a Brewery, the Babe and, of Course, Casey |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/04/archives/in-yankees-past-tammany-hall-a-brewery-the-babe-and-of-course-casey.html |access-date=2025-06-12 |work=The New York Times |pages=45 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Ruppert and Huston purchased pitcher [[Carl Mays]] from the [[Boston Red Sox]] in 1918, in direct opposition of an order issued by Johnson. The matter was taken to court, where Ruppert and Huston prevailed over Johnson. The case led to the dissolution of the [[National Baseball Commission|National Commission]], which governed baseball and helped lead to the creation of the [[Commissioner of Baseball]].<ref name=nydn/> Ruppert eventually organized opposition to Johnson among other AL owners.<ref name=barrel/>

[[File:Babe Ruth2.jpg|thumb|Slugger [[Babe Ruth]] was acquired from the [[Boston Red Sox]] in 1920, and transformed the Yankees overnight into a powerhouse]]

The Yankees purchased star [[Two-way player#Baseball|pitcher-outfielder]] [[Babe Ruth]] from the Red Sox in January 1920, which made the Yankees a profitable franchise.<ref name=nydn/> The Yankees began to outdraw the Giants, with whom they shared the [[Polo Grounds]]. In 1921, the Yankees won the AL pennant for the first time but lost to the Giants in the [[1921 World Series|World Series]]. As a result of the Yankees' increased popularity, [[Charles Stoneham]], owner of the Giants and the Polo Grounds, raised the rent for the 1922 season. The Yankee owners responded by purchasing land in [[The Bronx]], across the [[Harlem River]] from the Polo Grounds, from the estate of [[William Waldorf Astor]] for $675,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|675000|1922}}}} in {{Inflation year|index=US}}),<ref name=minnpost>{{cite news|last=Borzi |first=Pat |url=http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2008/09/end-baseball-era-yankee-shea-stadiums-taking-their-last-bats |title=End of a baseball era: Yankee, Shea stadiums taking their last at-bats |newspaper=MinnPost |access-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> breaking ground on a new stadium in May 1922. That year, the Giants once again defeated the Yankees in the [[1922 World Series|World Series]]. [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] opened on April 18, 1923,<ref name=nydn/> the first ballpark with three tiers of seating for fans<ref>{{Cite news |last=Livingstone |first=Seth |date=July 15, 2008 |title=For 85 years, history hit home in 'House That Ruth Built' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/yankees/2008-07-14-yankeestadium_N.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205202123/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/yankees/2008-07-14-yankeestadium_N.htm |archive-date=5 February 2013 |access-date=July 17, 2012 |work=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Verducci |first=Tom  |author-link=Tom Verducci |date=April 16, 2009 |title=New Stadium an instant classic |url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/2009/04/16/verducci-yankees |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119105842/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/tom_verducci/04/16/verducci.yankees/ |archive-date=January 19, 2013 |access-date=July 17, 2012 |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> and the first referred to as a "stadium".<ref name=minnpost/> Ruppert and Huston self-financed the project for $2.5&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2500000|1922}}}} in {{Inflation year|index=US}}).<ref>{{cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Sandomir |date=February 8, 2008 |title=You Can't Buy the Naming Rights, but Call It the Billion-Dollar Ballpark |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/sports/baseball/08sandomir.html |access-date=December 7, 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

[[File:Yankee_Stadium,1920s.jpg|thumb|Ruth's popularity led to the 1923 construction of [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], a landmark in Major League Baseball]]

In May 1922, Ruppert bought out Huston for $1.5&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1500000|1923}}}} in {{Inflation year|index=US}}), and he became the sole owner.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yankees Timeline - 1920s |url=https://www.mlb.com/yankees/history/timeline-1920s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128201151/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/history/timeline1.jsp |archive-date=January 28, 2007 |access-date=June 18, 2007 |publisher=[[Major League Baseball]] |quote=May 21, 1922: Col. Ruppert buys out Col. Huston for $1.5&nbsp;million.}}</ref> The following season, the Yankees finally beat the Giants to win their first [[1923 World Series|World Series]] title. The Yankees went on to dominate baseball throughout most of the 1920s and 1930s, winning three more pennants from 1926 through 1928, including the [[Murderers' Row]] team that won the [[1927 World Series]] and repeated as champions the following year. They returned to the top with the [[1932 World Series]] title and then began their strongest period yet with the Bronx Bombers teams of the late 1930s, becoming the first team to win three consecutive World Series titles in [[1936 World Series|1936]], [[1937 World Series|1937]] and [[1938 World Series|1938]]. In 1937, the Yankees became the first team to win six World Series titles, and in 1938 they surpassed the [[Philadelphia Athletics]] to become the first team to win ten AL championships, with only the Giants winning more pennants in the 20th century.

In 1929, Ruppert added [[number (sports)|numbers]] to the Yankees' uniforms, which became a feature of every team. He said, "Many fans do not attend games on a regular basis and cannot easily pick out the players they have come to see."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/19/going-by-the-numbers/ |title=Going by the numbers |work=The Washington Times |date=January 19, 2009 |access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref>

In 1931, Commissioner [[Kenesaw Mountain Landis]] allowed for the creation of [[farm system]]s directly operated by major league teams.<ref name=sabr/> Ruppert bought the [[Newark Bears (International League)|Newark Bears]], who played at [[Ruppert Stadium (Newark)|Ruppert Stadium]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]], and begin building the Yankees' farm system.<ref>{{Citation |last=Mayer |first=Ronald A. |title=The 1937 Newark Bears: A Baseball Legend |page=back cover |year=1994 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZfgW4HGCa0C&pg=PT4 |publisher=[[Rutgers University Press]] |isbn=9780813521534 |quote=Jacob Ruppert, owner of the New York Yankees, purchased the team from the newspaper publisher Paul Block in 1931. Mayer traces the Bears' exciting first five seasons under Ruppert and the building of a farm system}}</ref> 

Ruppert's 24 years as owner of the Yankees saw him build the team from an also-ran to a baseball powerhouse. His own strength as a baseball executive, including his willingness to wheel and deal, was aided by the business skills of general manager [[Ed Barrow]] and the forceful field managing of Miller Huggins, until his sudden death at age 50 late in the 1929 season, and [[Joe McCarthy (manager)|Joe McCarthy]], beginning in 1931. By the time of Ruppert's death, the team was well on its way to becoming the most successful in the history of Major League Baseball, and eventually in North American professional sports.

Ruppert and Ruth had public disagreements about Ruth's contracts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=13AbAAAAIBAJ&pg=1973,518611&dq=jacob-ruppert&hl=en|title=Ruppert Sets Ruth's Salary: No Compromise; Says Babe Will Sign for $70,000|agency=United Press International|page=9|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=March 12, 1932|access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref> Nevertheless, they were personal friends; according to Ruth, Ruppert called him "Babe" only once, and that was the night before he died. Usually, Ruppert called him "Root" (as "Ruth" sounded in his German-accented diction); he always called everyone, even close friends, by their last name. Ruth was one of the last persons to see Ruppert alive.<ref name=PinstripeEmpire/>

==Personal life==
In 1894, Ruppert purchased [[South Brother Island, East River|South Brother Island]], located in the [[East River]], and was the last person to live on the island, leaving in 1909 when his house burned down.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Timothy |date=November 20, 2007 |title=City Claims Final Private Island in East River |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/nyregion/20brother.html |access-date=May 26, 2008 |work=The New York Times |quote=After Mr. Ruppert’s summer home burned down in 1909, South Brother went through another long fallow period.}}</ref> He purchased [[Saint Basil Academy (Garrison, New York)|Eagle's Rest]], an [[estate (land)|estate]] in [[Garrison, New York]], on January 30, 1919.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stbasil.goarch.org/about_us/estate_history |title=Saint Basil Academy &#124; Saint Basil Academy: The History of the Estate |access-date=January 25, 2019 |archive-date=January 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126000753/http://www.stbasil.goarch.org/about_us/estate_history |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
===Death===
Ruppert suffered from [[phlebitis]] in April 1938 and was confined to his Fifth Avenue apartment for most of the year. He was too sick to follow the Yankees to the 1938 World Series, what would be their seventh world title under his stewardship; he listened on the radio. In November 1938, he checked into [[Lenox Hill Hospital]], where he died on January 13, 1939.<ref name=PinstripeEmpire/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=axNPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5383,1787443&dq=jacob-ruppert&hl=en|title=Jacob Ruppert, Famous Leader of Yanks, Dies|agency=Associated Press|page=1|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=January 14, 1939|access-date=October 9, 2013}}</ref> He was survived by his brother George and his sister Amanda and was interred in the family mausoleum at [[Kensico Cemetery]] in [[Valhalla, New York]].<ref name="sabr">{{Cite web |last=Levitt |first=Daniel R. |title=Jacob Ruppert |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Jacob-Ruppert/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

===Legacy===
[[File:RuppertPlaque.jpg|thumb|right|Ruppert's plaque in [[Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)|Monument Park]]]]

Ruppert's father, Jacob Sr., left behind an estate of $6,382,758 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|6482758|1915}}}} in {{Inflation year|index=US}}) when he died in 1915,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F1FFE3E5D1A728DDDA80A94DA415B858DF1D3 |title=Jacob Ruppert Left Estate OF $6,382,758 – Held 1,000 Shares, of $100,000 Par Value, in Brewery, Appraised at $4,864,504. $72,000 Worthless Stock; Personal Property Included Many Valuable Horses at the Hudson River Farm|access-date=July 17, 2012|date=December 21, 1915}}</ref> which Ruppert increased to $120&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|120000000|1939}}}})  by the time of his death in 1939.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=January 21, 1939 |title=One-third of the Ruppert Fortune Is Bequeathed to an Ex-Actress; Helen Winthrope Weyant Inherits $300,000 Besides Share in Residue The rest was left to the future Ruppert family legacy, with the Rest—Wealth Put at Over $120,000,000 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0CE5D9123CE73ABC4951DFB7668382629EDE |access-date=12 March 2016 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> This was managed by his heirs. His brother George, who served as the Yankees' vice president, declined to take over the team presidency, and instead recommended that general manager [[Ed Barrow]] be given control of the club. Under Barrow's leadership, the Yankees won a fourth consecutive World Series in [[1939 World Series|1939]], and captured three more AL titles and two World Series from 1941 to 1943 as the nation entered World War II. After mismanaging Ruppert's brewery, the heirs sold the Yankees to [[Dan Topping]], [[Del Webb]] and [[Larry MacPhail]] in 1945. The brewery sold its flagship beer, Knickerbocker beer, to [[Rheingold Beer|Rheingold]], and went out of business in 1965.<ref name=nydn/>

On April 16, 1940, the Yankees dedicated a plaque in Ruppert's memory, to hang on the center field wall of Yankee Stadium, near the flagpole and the monument that had been dedicated to former manager [[Miller Huggins]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1940-04-09 |title=Yankees Will Honor Col. Jacob Ruppert |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-yankees-will-honor/170875444/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |work=The Spokesman-Review |page=13 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> The plaque called Ruppert "Gentleman, American, sportsman, through whose vision and courage this imposing edifice, destined to become the home of champions, was erected and dedicated to the American game of baseball." The plaque now rests in [[Monument Park (Yankee Stadium)|Monument Park]] at [[Yankee Stadium|New Yankee Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Sandomir |date=September 21, 2010 |title=Everyone Agrees: Steinbrenner's Plaque Is Big |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/sports/baseball/22monument.html |access-date=December 7, 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

An apocryphal story says that Ruppert is responsible for the Yankees' famous pinstriped uniforms; according to this account, Ruppert chose pinstripes to make the often-portly Ruth appear less obese, but the uniform was, in fact, introduced in 1912.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yankees Timeline - 1910s |url=https://www.mlb.com/yankees/history/timeline-1910s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128201151/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/history/timeline1.jsp |archive-date=January 28, 2007 |access-date=June 18, 2007 |publisher=[[Major League Baseball]] |quote=April 11, 1912: Pinstripes first appear on Highlanders' uniforms, creating a look that would become the most famous uniform design in sports.}}</ref>

A beer was named after Ruppert,<ref>{{cite news|last=Spielvogel |first=Carl |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/11/05/archives/jacob-ruppert-is-coming-back.html |title=Jacob Ruppert Is Coming Back|work=The New York Times|date=November 5, 1958 |access-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> as were [[Ruppert Stadium (Newark)|Ruppert Stadium]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]]. Ruppert Park in Manhattan,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ruppert Park |url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/ruppert-park/ |website=NYC Parks}}</ref> is part of the [[Ruppert Yorkville Towers]] housing complex was built on the site the brewery in [[Yorkville, Manhattan]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/realestate/upper-east-side-streetscapes-empires-of-rival-brewers.html| work=The New York Times | first=Christopher | last=Gray | title=Upper East Side/Streetscapes – Empires of Rival Brewers | date=March 22, 2012}}</ref>

==National Baseball Hall of Fame==
On December 3, 2012, Ruppert was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] by the new [[Veterans Committee|Pre-Integration Era Committee]], which considers candidates (managers, umpires, executives, and players) every three years that have been identified by the [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]] (BBWAA) appointed Historical Overview Committee from the era prior to 1947.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eras: Pre-Integration: Rules For Election For Managers, Umpires, Executives, And Players For Pre-Integration Era Candidates To The National Baseball Hall of Fame |url=http://www.baseballhall.org/hall-famers/rules-election/eras-pre-integration |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430104243/http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/rules-election/eras-pre-integration |archive-date=April 30, 2013 |access-date=13 April 2013 |website=[[Baseball Hall of Fame]]}}</ref> He was inducted into the Hall on July 28, 2013.<ref name="PR-HOF" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Dave |author-link=Dave Anderson (sportswriter) |date=December 8, 2012 |title=No Longer Overlooked |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/sports/baseball/no-longer-overlooked.html |access-date=25 December 2013 |work=[[The New York Times]] |quote=Ruppert's name was resurrected by the Hall's historical overview committee, and last week, its new pre-integration era committee elected him ... They will be inducted posthumously July 28 with those who emerge in January from the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bloom |first=Barry M. |date=December 3, 2012 |title=Ruppert among three elected to Hall of Fame |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121203&content_id=40498706&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206071122/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121203&content_id=40498706&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-date=2012-12-06 |access-date=December 7, 2012 |publisher=Major League Baseball}}</ref> Anne Vernon, a fifth-generation descendant of Ruppert's brother George, gave his induction speech.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df3bjTOrmvE |title=Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert enters Hall of Fame |date=2013-12-11 |last=MLB |author-link=Major League Baseball |access-date=2025-06-12 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal |Biography|Baseball|New York City}}
*[[New York Yankees managers and ownership]]

{{clear}}


==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{CongBio|R000513}}
*{{bbhof|ruppert-jacob}}

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{{succession box
| before=[[William S. Devery]] and [[Frank J. Farrell|Frank Farrell]]
| title=Owner of the [[New York Yankees]]
| years=with [[Tillinghast L' Hommedieu Huston]] 1915–1922<br />sole proprietor 1922–1939
| after= Jacob Ruppert Estate}}
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{{US House succession box
| state = New York
| district = 15
| before=[[Philip B. Low]]
| after=[[William H. Douglas]]
| years=1899–1903}}
{{US House succession box
| state = New York
| district = 16
| before=[[Cornelius Amory Pugsley]]
| after=[[Francis Burton Harrison]]
| years=1903–1907}}
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{{Monument Park honorees}}
{{New York Yankees owners}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{2013 Baseball HOF}}
{{USCongRep-start
| congresses = 56th–59th United States Congresses
| state      = [[United States congressional delegations from New York|New York]]
}}
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{{Bioguide}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruppert, Jacob Jr.}}
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