Augustus Schell

Augustus Schell (August 1, 1812 – March 27, 1884) was a New York politician and lawyer. Schell was born in Rhinebeck, New York and was educated at Rhinebeck Academy and Wesleyan Seminary. He was graduated in 1830 from Union College with Phi Beta Kappa honors and membership in The Kappa Alpha Society, and then studied at Litchfield Law School. He was admitted to the bar and started a practice in New York City. He started out as an early expert in the then new field of corporate law and through his profession became active in railroad management. A friend of Cornelius Vanderbilt, he gradually expanded his railroad connections through investments as well as legal counsel.

An active Democrat, he joined Tammany Hall where, after William M. Tweed's fall, he became Grand Sachem in 1872. He was head of the Democratic state committee 1853-1856. During the administration of President James Buchanan he was collector of the Port of New York. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee that supported John C. Breckinridge for the presidency in 1860 and also 1872-1876. After the trial of William M. Tweed and his associates, Schell labored for the purification and rehabilitation of the Tammany society, and in 1878 was its unsuccessful candidate for mayor.

He was a director in many railroad and financial corporations, and was active in the management of philanthropic institutions. Several of Schell's brothers were well-known business men of New York City.

References

• Bio from PictureHistory
•  "Schell, Augustus". Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900.

Party political offices
Preceded by	New York State Democratic Committee Chairman 1853 – 1856	Succeeded by
Preceded by William M. Tweed	Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall 1871 – 1874	Succeeded by Charles H. Haswell
Preceded by August Belmont, Sr.	Democratic National Committee Chairman 1872 – 1876	Succeeded by Abram S. Hewitt
Political offices
Preceded by Heman J. Redfield	Collector of the Port of New York 1857 – 1861	Succeeded by Hiram Barney