Harrison Ruffin Tyler, grandson of President John Tyler, dies at age 96
Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the grandson of John Tyler, the 10th U.S. president, has died at the age of 96.
Harrison Tyler died May 25, according to a statement shared by the Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation, which operates the Tyler family’s historic home in Virginia.
“A beloved father and grandfather, he will be missed immeasurably by those who survive him. His accomplishments in business changed the lives of countless employees of ChemTreat, the company he co-founded in 1968,” the foundation shared in a statement on Facebook.
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“His love of history and his birthplace, Charles City County, VA, led him to preserve both Sherwood Forest, President Tyler’s home, and Fort Pocahontas, a Civil War fortification nearby. He will be remembered for his considerable charm, generosity and unfailing good humor by all who knew him.”
In 2012, Harrison Tyler had a series of small strokes and developed dementia, according to the National Archives.
Harrison Tyler was born Nov. 9, 1928. His grandfather, President John Tyler, was in office from 1841 to 1845.
Harrison Tyler was the son of Lyon Gadiner Tyler and Sue Ruffin in Richmond, Virginia.
Harrison Tyler’s father was born on Aug. 24, 1853, when President Tyler was 63 years old, which explains how a grandchild of the president from almost 200 years ago would still have been alive.
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Harrison Tyler graduated from William and Mary, the same university where his father was the president for over 30 years, and Virginia Tech, where he studied chemical engineering.
In 1968, Tyler and his business partner, William P. Simmons, opened a water treatment company called ChemTreat.
After founding ChemTreat, Harrison Tyler acquired the historic plantation Sherwood Forest, which once belonged to his grandfather, and oversaw its restoration.
Today, the plantation is open to the public.
Harrison Tyler also paid for the preservation of Fort Pocahontas, a Civil War-era fort built by Black soldiers of the Union’s U.S. Colored Troops, which is near Sherwood Forest.
At William and Mary, students and other guests can attend the Harrison Ruffin Tyler Department of History, which was named in his honor after he donated books and $5 million.
Harrison Tyler’s wife, Frances Payne Bouknight Tyler, died in 2019, and his brother, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., died in 2020, making Harrison Tyler the last living grandchild of the 10th president.
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Harrison Tyler is survived by his three children and multiple grandchildren.
The president’s birth and his grandson’s death were separated by 235 years.
Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to [email protected].