author
Seth Low
1850–1916
A reform-minded civic leader, educator, and mayor, he helped reshape both New York City politics and Columbia University at the turn of the 20th century. His career moved easily between public office, university leadership, and international diplomacy.
1 Audiobook
Opening Ceremonies of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, May 24, 1883
by William C. Kingsley, Franklin Edson, Seth Low
About the author
Born in Brooklyn in 1850, Seth Low became one of the most prominent public figures in New York during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served as mayor of Brooklyn in the 1880s, later led Columbia as its eleventh president, and went on to serve as mayor of New York City after consolidation.
He is especially remembered as a municipal reformer and university builder. During his years at Columbia, the institution expanded dramatically and established its Morningside Heights campus, helping transform the school into a major modern university.
Low also represented the United States at the 1899 peace conference at The Hague. He died in 1916, leaving behind a reputation for public service, administrative reform, and practical civic idealism.